Percy Jackson Top 10 Stories- Fabalous Author and Fics
by Simon1002
Summary: Go and see an adventure of the best story in the FanFiction.Net sight of Percy Jackson. I own nothing so don't try sewing me or something. Anyway there will be my Top 10 which may differ to your tastes however I hope you will enjoy it.
1. Not So Unique But Great 10

I don't own anything. The story belong to to the Rick Riordan who had the fantastic idea and the author.

Son of Rivers By Pixel-Up

Rank 10 - Words Small: (33,000)

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any of Rick Riordan's books. I really don't want to say this every chapter:D

Percy's POV

I walked up the hill adjusting the my backpack. I patted Peleus and asked him,"Can you watch this for me Peleus? It has something very precious to me."

He only snorted smoke at me. I took that as a yes and tucked my backpack between his forelegs. Then I continued walking down the hill.

Its been four months since I had been able to see my home.

Camp Half-Blood looked beautiful in the setting sun. Soon, the moon would come out and shine brightly over the Artemis cabin. I decided to take a walk by the beach and clear my head to prepare myself.

It's been one year since the 2nd Giant war and we finally had peace. No more prophecys hanging over head and because of my first wish in the Titan war, there were at least a hundred new cabins for each minor god and goddess.

The stars started to come out and I lay back on soft sand to watch them. They provoked bittersweet memories of the friends I've made and all the friends I've lost. But the saddest memory is always triggered by one constellation... The Huntress. She was once a hunter of Artemis and she was also once my friend. She died in my third quest, she was one of the first friends of mine that died and she was certainly not the last.

I wish I could have stopped her death, all of their deaths. But I can't, which hurts me even more because of my fatal flaw. I would destroy the world to save a friend but when the Fates cut the string and I have no power to stop it at all, it hurts me more.

"Hey Percy, I can't believe your back already!" Shouted a very familiar voice. I snapped out of my thoughts and twisted my head around to see two familiar faces. I smiled at them "Nico, Thalia, I missed you guys."

Nico stood in his classic goth outfit with black jeans and a black leather jacket with several chains that looked like they could also be used as weapons.

Thalia looked the same as always with a green day shirt and her hunter parka, she was also wearing her tiara that states that she is the Lieutenant of the Hunt. I ran up and hugged them both. "When did you get back? Thalia asked. "About 2 minutes ago Pinecone Face" I teased.

Only response I got was a punch to the shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?" I asked, rubbing my arm. " Just cuz your a Kelp Head," she replied.

"So what are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be on your knee and proposing to Annabeth?" Thalia scolded me smiling.

"Shut up! I don't want anybody to hear," I hissed looking around nervously. "Sorry," she replied.

She did not look very sorry. "Can we see the ring now, please?" asked Nico, jumping up and down. We just stared at him. "Hey Deathbreath, I thought you grew up already?" teased Thalia. Nico's cheeks flushed. "Sorry," he mumbled looking down. Thalia looked at me and we both cracked up laughing.

"But seriously, can we see it now," Thalia asked. my hand slipped into my pocket and stroked the soft velvet. I considered taking it out and showing them but decided against it. "Sorry guys, but it's a surprise," I wink at them.

"Fine, but you better do it at the campfire," whined Nico. "I was planning to Zombie Dude." I replied.

We started walking to the camp talking to each other like it was any other day. This was how life should be, peaceful and calm with no prophecy hanging over my head.

"So how's immortality treating you?" asked Thalia. I snapped out of my thoughts. "Pretty good, but you know that it's the same immortality that the hunters have," I said.

When we had defeated Gaea and the Giants, the Gods wanted to turn the Seven into Gods. We decided to change that gift into partial immortality and to give Hestia and Hades their throne back. The two Gods and Goddesses were very thankful and Hades gave permission for any of the Seven to enter his domain. That made Nico really happy cause now be would get more company.

It was nearing about 8:00 and I could hear the cheers from the campfire. Wait, cheers? Singing yes, but cheering no.

"Do you think someone's been claimed?" I asked Thalia. She just shrugged in response.

We jogged up to the campfire and I saw my father. I was about to go hug him when he said, "Hail, Orion true son of the Sea God, leader of Camp Half-Blood." The crowd continued cheering.

"Wait, I have a brother? Since when? And how is he the leader of camp?" I quietly asked Nico. "I have no idea, I haven't been here since you left," he replied. I looked at Thalia questionably. She shrugged as well.

I started to walk through the crowd and what I saw made my blood run cold.

Sitting on a bench in front of the campfire was a boy that had to be at least 18 years old, the same as I was and he had to be a son of Poseidon. He had the sea green eyes of a son of the sea but they were darker than mine. His hair was a shade lighter and shorter than mine. He wore a cocky smirk but I thought maybe I could bond with him anyways. How wrong I was.

Sitting next to him, under his arm, was Annabeth. My Annabeth. I thought maybe they were just friends but that hope was crushed when he leaned in and kissed her.

And she kissed him back.

I stumbled back and Nico caught me. "Man, I'm so sorry," said Nico, pity showing in his eyes.

I regained my balance but the situation got worse, almost knocking me over again.

My brother Orion stood up suddenly and turned to face Annabeth. My Annabeth. He kneeled slipping a small black box out of his pocket.

In my mind, I was screaming. NO NO NO. Tears started pouring down my face.

"Annabeth Chase, will you marry me?"

The crowd grew silent in anticipation. She covered her mouth with her hands. "Yes yes yes!" she started crying in joy. The crowd started cheering, my father one of the loudest there.

I looked at my friends. Nico looked pale and scared? Thalia looked like she was holding back sobs.

A strange feeling started to overcome me. It was unpleasant but I relished the feeling of it.

I realized what it was.

It was pure fury.

It overcame my sorrow in a flash.

I took a step forward. "What exactly is going on?" I spoke slowly. The crowd immediately grew quiet. I walked towards the happy couple, the crowd parting for me. Annabeth's eyes were wide and she looked shocked.

"Per-Percy, h-how are you here? You d-died" she stammered "I am very much alive Annabeth," I spat, "But the real question is why? Why would you do this to me, after all I did for you?" I asked quieter.

The entire camp was watching us, completely shocked. Good for them, I thought.

"How many of you know how much I have suffered in my life?" I asked directing this at our audience. My only answer was complete and utter silence.

"Really? Then why don't I educate you," At this point all eyes were on me.

"When I was twelve, I went on a quest to the Underworld to rescue Zeus' MasterBolt to prevent a civil war among the Gods. At twelve, I beat Ares in a duel. It was then when I found out Luke, son of Hermes was helping Kronos rise," I said quietly.

"My second quest was when Thalia's pine tree was poisoned and I snuck away on a quest to save the camp by finding the Golden Fleece in the Sea of Monsters. We survived the Sirens and defeated Polyphemus, a cyclops. We saved the camp and rescued Thalia from her tree."

I took a deep breath and glanced at Nico and Thalia who moved to stand protectively next to me.

"I went a extraction mission with Thalia and Anna-her," jerking my head head in her direction,"To find a pair of powerful demigods, Nico and Bianca Di Angelo. We were attacked and Annabeth was kidnapped by the Titan Atlas. Bianca joined the Hunters and was chosen to go on a quest to save Artemis who had been forced under the sky."

I look up at my awestruck audience. "The quest members was Thalia, Zoe, the last lieutenant of the hunt, Bianca, Grover and would have been Phoebe but I snuck away on the quest instead to save Annabeth."

"I fought and defeated the Nemean Lion and along the way..."

I look at Nico but his face was startlingly blank.

"Along the way in the junkyard of the Gods, Bi-Bianca sacrificed herself to save my life." "We reached the Garden of the Hesperides and managed to reach the top of Mount Tam, where Atlas once held the sky. Where Artemis now held the sky. I took the burden of the sky to allow Artemis to fight instead." "The only thought in my head was Bianca gave her life for me, I could hold the sky. Artemis tricked Atlas under the sky once more but not until he...not until he killed Zoe," my voice impossibly soft.

"Artemis placed her soul in the stars to remain forevermore."

"My fourth quest brought me deep into the Labyrinth, to prevent Luke from invading the camp. I fought monsters and navigated the maze with a clear sighted mortal. I made my peace with Nico and separated from Grover and Tyson who went of to find Pan. Annabeth and I went on a side quest for Hephaestus to locate one of his forges. I went there and was attacked by sea demons. I caused Mount St Helen's to erupt and for Typhon to wake up. I was landed on the island of Calypso and was offered to escape my prophecy. I could have become immortal and escape my life. But I chose to return for my friends because I was loyal to my friends, to my family. I returned to camp and once again entered the Labyrinth. We found Daedalus and found out he had already helped Luke but was eventually betrayed and helped us escape."

I took a deep breath. These next few parts were going to hard.

"I was there when Pan faded, I was one of the few who were blessed by the Lord of the Wild. "

"I managed to find my way back to Luke's ship where Kronos' sarcophagus was located. I found out Luke had bathed in the River Styx and had hosted the Titan Lord's essence. We managed to escape but not before Nico was revealed as a son of Hades."

I take a moment to glance at my audience. They were awestruck, shocked, and scared? I looked at my father and saw he had tears in his eyes.

"That was when the Battle of the Labyrinth began. To cut a long story short, many brave heroes passed but we managed to win. Daedalus returned to help and asked Nico to kill him to close the Labyrinth. Th-there were t-too many shrouds that day.

I swallow deeply looking at my too companions, both openly sobbing.

"I knew that Kronos would try to attack Olympus so I gathered every single half-blood to defend Olympus. Forty Demigods, 30 hunters, and an assortment of nature spirits was all we had to defend Olympus. The bravest heroes of the age, who gave their lives to protect the world. It was also then when I bathed in the River Styx to prepare myself to fight Kronos. I also read the Great Prophecy that had always governed my entire life,"

"This was my prophecy-

A halfblood of the eldest Gods, Shall reach sixteen against all odds, And see the world in endless sleep, Hero's soul cursed blade shall reap, A single choice shall end his days, Olympus to preserve or raze."

"The final battle happened in the Throne Room. Annabeth reminded Luke of his promise to her and managed to wrestle control from Kronos. I made the choice to save Olympus, I gave Annabeth's knife to him and he stabbed himself in his Achille's heel, killing Kronos."

Everyone was completely silent except for Annabeth who was sobbing into my brother's shoulder.

"I made an even bigger decision at the awards ceremony. The Gods offered me godhood," I paused,"And I declined"

The entire audience erupted in yells and questions but I lifted my hand and stopped them immediately.

"I declined for for two reasons, one was I promised to Luke that I would make sure the Gods payed more attention to their children, I made them all swear to claim all their children by the time they turn 12 and that every God would have a cabin at camp, Olympian and minor."

"The second reason was for her. I declined godhood because I loved her," I spat. "I could have escaped my fate but I chose you." directing my statement at her. "But it seems as if you didn't do the same."

"Later, Hera that took my memories and Jason Grace from Camp Jupiter to unite the Camps against the newest threat. Gaea was rising. To shorten a very long quest, Annabeth fell into Tartarus and I chose to fall with her. We escaped and then we fought the Giants in Greece and managed to kill them with our parents but not before Gaea woke."

"And I managed to kill Gaia by myself with no help."

"The Seven chose to add Hades and Hestia to the council and received partial immortality instead."

"And then Athena, decided now I had to earn her approval to marry her daughter by defeating Landon and taking the Golden Apples of Immortality."

"Which brings us to here," I finish slowly. My voice had been rising during my entire speech.

I slip my hand into my pocket and take out a small,black box and open it, showing the contents to everyone. Every girl gasped there, even Thalia which Nico smirked at. Inside the small, black box nestled in soft silk, was a ring worthy of Hephaestus. A pure silver band made up the body of the ring, etched into the silver were sea-green wave designs that seemed to move in the firelight. The main cause of such rapture were the ring's jewels. There was an emerald trident in the center, the exact color of Percy's eyes. On either side of the trident was two storm grey wings-owl wings. Etched along the base of the wings were the words- Forever and always

I looked at Thalia and Nico and they seemed to get my messege.

They took a step back.

"Ple-please Percy! I thought you died! I thought you would have wanted me to move on!" Annabeth cried out reaching out for me.

"No, daughter of Athena, you just forgot about me, like everyone here." my voice filled with such venom cause everyone to flinch. "It seems as if Athena's smarts skipped a generation huh?"

Rachel stepped out calmly,"Percy, please don't do anything rash,"

"And why should I listen to you, to any of the people that betrayed me?" I hissed.

Rachel looked like she had just been slapped. "Percy please, this isn't you," she pleaded. "Shut up! Stop acting like your my friend," I growled,

"I bet the gods wanted this to happen! I think they wanted to crush me!" I yell at the sky.

The sky only thundered softly in the distance.

"To the gods," I say bitterly dropping the ring into the campfire.

My father stumbled like he had been struck. His legs collapsed and he fell to his knees, the crowd watching in a stunned silence. After what seemed like forever, Poseidon slowly looked up.

"I'm so sorry," he said softly a single tear slowly making a trail down his face.

"Too late" My response made him bow his head once more.

"Percy, please forgive me. I love you!" Annabeth cried out stepping out to me.

In a flash, my blade was at her throat. "It would be so easy for me to kill you right now," I whispered. "But that would be too easy."

"How dare you do that to my wife?!" Orion yelled. I just smirked at him.

I removed my blade and shoved her into his arms where he glared at me.

Suddenly every single camper rushed forwards including Chiron who had just appeared, I think they were trying to restrain me.

But that didn't happen.

I swiftly turned riptide around and pointed it at my chest.

And everyone froze.

"Percy, please don't do this, this isn't the answer," Chiron pleaded. "Trying to act like you care? Well too bad, I don't buy your trick."

Nico and Thalia stood right next to me once again. "Please don't do anything rash," whispered Thalia.

Of course I ignored her. I knew I couldn't live here anymore, it was not my home anymore, and Camp Jupiter has my other friends, but it is too familiar to Camp Half-Blood. I looked up and saw the Huntress.

Then, I had a brilliant idea. Well maybe not brilliant, actually it could most likely kill me later but I had to do it.

I slowly took the sword off my chest and caused a massive sigh of relief to emanate from the crowd. I looked at my sword, so many memories forged through this sword.

Too many.

Then I had a brilliant idea.

I capped riptide and held it in my palm for everyone to see.

"I return this sword to its original form." The pen shimmered and slowly shrank into a blue hair clip.

Zoe Nightshade's hair clip imbued with her immortal power.

"I renounce my ownership over this sword," That caught everyone's attention causing a massive gasp from the campers assembled. They knew how much riptide meant to me.

"I return riptide to it's original creator and owner, Zoe Nightshade. That's when Thalia fainted in shock but Nico caught her.

Riptide started to glow a deep blue color- the color of the ocean at its deepest depths.

Riptide shimmered once again and started to rise out of my hand. It slowly started to pick up speed until it passed higher than I could see, but something remarkable happened.

The stars glowed brighter than normal.

More specifically, a single constellation.

The Huntress.

While everyone was gawking at the change, I took that as a sign.

I turned and sprinted out of the campfire. I managed to get up the hill before I started to hear the shouts. I ran up to Peleus, grabbed my backpack and gave one last look at the place I had once called home.

The yells started getting louder and my resolve hardened. I turned back and ran down the hill-towards freedom, towards a new life.

Not once looking back.

Chiron's POV

We had been searching for hours with no sign of Percy. After the first hour, Poseidon flashed away to Olympus to alert the other gods of the situation. I of course, was worried for my student but did not underestimate him. Normally demigods would perish within a day in the normal world without a weapon, but this was the greatest hero alive. Every monster was afraid of him.

Everyone was guilty including me.

How could I have been such a fool? He was the greatest hero alive, he wouldn't die so easily on a quest. Hades or Nico would have told us at least if he died.

"Heroes, it's getting to late, we shall continue the search tommorow," I shouted, my voice echoing through the forest.

"But Chiron, we have to keep looking, I-we need to apologize to him," cried Annabeth.

I looked at my student with sympathy. She was the closest thing I had to a daughter and I cared about her very much. "It is much too late for us to find him, we will continue the search at first light, I promise," I told her.

Orion slung his arm around her and directed her towards her cabin. I called out to the remaining searchers to bring them in.

As we were walking back into camp, I turned and looked back into the depths of the forest.

"Please be safe Percy," I whisper before turning and galloping back into camp.

Poseidon's POV

I flashed on to Olympus, still shocked from what had happened. I didn't know whether to be happy my son is alive or ashamed on giving up on him so easily. I sat down at my throne and banged my trident against the hard, marble floor calling the council of the gods.

Fourteen gods flashed in. "Poseidon, what is the meaning of this meeting?" Hades asked. "I just learned tha- where is Aphrodite? She is suppose to be here, Hermes, can you please get her?"

Hermes nodded and flashed out.

"I just learned that my son is alive," I start to say when Zeus stood up furiously and yelled,"Then why call a meeting? We have more important things to do," he glared at me.

"You didn't let me finish, my son is alive and found out Annabeth is engaged to marry his brother.

At this point, Athena stood up furious. "What! I sent Perseus on a quest to gain my permission to marry my daughter and she-she does this!"

Artemis stood up as well,"I agree, Perseus is a great man and did not deserve this,"

"Wait, you sent him on a quest without telling me! I thought he was dead," I murmured the last part. I could feel the storms raging the Earth but I could care less.

I had abandoned my favorite son for a lesser one. I could see why he hates me now, I thought sullenly.

That was when Hermes flashed in carrying someone.

It was Aphrodite.

"What did you do to my wife!" thundered Hephaestus getting up from his throne lunging at Hermes.

"I didn't do anything, I found her on the ground and sobbing her eyes out," He quickly said while handing her to her husband. Hephaestus held her for a moment then gently placed her in her throne.

I had to smile at that. After the Giant War, Percy managed to convince the council to act more like a family, something Hera enjoyed immensely.

Wait, Percy.

"Wake her up!" roared Zeus which was sufficient in waking her up.

Aphrodite sat up suddenly and stared at the rest of the Olympians assembled.

Then she burst out crying.

Her sobbing shocked the assembled gods.

"Aphrodite, what happened? Are you okay?" asked Athena hesitantly.

"Did you not feel th-that?" Aphrodite stuttered

"Feel what?"

"That wave of power just a few minutes ago" Aphrodite's voice became strong and she turned to stare at me.

"I know what exactly what it was, Poseidon, would you like to explain what transpired at Camp Half-Blood?" her voice uncharacteristically serious.

At this I stuttered. "I have no idea what could have ca-caused this,"

She raised an eyebrow,"Really,or would you like me to tell the other gods?"

Everyone else was watching in a stunned silence at the one-sided conversation and how different Aphrodite was acting.

"Fine, Percy appeared at camp right when his brother proposed to Annabeth. He saw the entire thing and threw the ring he made into the campfire. Then he ran off," I growled out annoyed at the disrespect she was showing me.

"And when did you feel the wave of power," she questioned.

"When-when Percy threw the ring into the fire," my eyes widening as I realized the source of power.

"Well, I don't understand what's going on," snarled Ares.

"Wait," Athena started," Do you mean..." She stared at Aphrodite questioningly.

"Will someone tell me what is going on? I assume we all felt the power surge, NOW EXPLAIN!" roared Zeus.

"The power came from Perseus or more specifically the ring," replied Aphodite still glaring daggers at me.

"How could a ring do something like that?" asked Apollo.

"Because it forged from a promise, from love. It was created from love which is why it affected my domain, and in turn, me," Aphrodite said.

"When did you get so smart?" asked Hermes who was awestruck

She, of course, ignored this.

"But why would this affect us? We are not all gods and goddesses of love," Athena pointed out.

"Because it was pure love. love that is the hardest to find. I haven't felt love like this in centuries."

"And because his heart was broken, he discarded the ring, destroying his ability to love again,"

"Why would that stop him from loving?" I pointed out

"Because he put all his love into making the ring, he literally sacrificed his ablitity to love, to us," Aphrodite stated, throwing her hands up. "How am I the only one to know these things?" she said exasperated.

"Because your the Goddess of Love," pointed out Hermes, hi-fiving Apollo.

"I believe we need to find Perseus, he is too powerful and we need to know if he is still loyal to Olympus. Will the Hunters search for him?" said Zeus, looking at Artemis.

"Of course father," Artemis then proceeded to flash away.

"Meeting adjourned," and with that, Zeus disappeared in a massive bolt of lightning.

Everyone else flashed out except for me, Aphrodite and Athena. Athena finally sighed after an uncomfortable silence."Look Lord Poseidon, Percy's disappearance is not your fault-"

"Yes it is," hissed Aphrodite, "It is his fault along with your daughter and the rest of camp. You abandoned him for another son, treating him like a tool, you used him until he was not needed anymore. You used him to get yourself attention and when he no longer provided it, you turned to your next son. It is most definitely your fault,"

"And now it's up to you to fix it," she glared at me one more time before disappearing in cloud of perfume.

Athena looked at me sadly, before flashing away.

I was alone.

"What have I done?"

Artemis was not having a good day.

Actually, that would have been an understatement.

It has been three weeks since the Hunt had been ordered to find Percy Jackson.

And it seemed that he had vanished off the face of the Earth.

For the first time, it seemed the hunters would fail.

That did not sit well with the hunters.

Even worse, was the lack of monsters. All along the east coast, nature spirits were reporting a frustrating and worrying declining amount of monsters.

The hunters were suppose to hunt, but how could they hunt if they had no prey?

The Hunt was currently camped in Colorado, investigating the monster disappearances that seemed to move west.

The hunters were just sitting down to eat when there was scream from the forest. Immediately, every hunter had their bows ready.

There was a loud crash from the bushes just outside their clearing and surprisingly, a dracaena slithered out.

Okay, slithered out would be exaggerating, mused Artemis. The creature was cut all over its body, and could barely crawl.

It looked up and saw the hunters pointing their bows at it.

The monster froze, then looked behind it and continued to limp towards us with a terrified expression.

"Stop!" called out Thalia stepping out towards the beast, with her bow still pointed at the dracaena. The creature fell to its knees, or where it's knees would be if it had legs instead of snake tails.

"Pleasesss help me," she cried out. "Why would you ask the hunters for help?" Phoebe asked.

"Because h-he is here," It managed to stutter out. "Who is here beast" demanded Artemis who walked up to Thalia.

"The Hooded One,"

"Who the hades is the Hooded One?" Thalia demanded.

"H-he is The Destroyer," she whimpered. "Well that helps a lot thanks," Atlanta, one of the senior hunters called out.

The dracaena's head snapped around to stare at the bushes she had climbed out. "He'sss here!" she started to sob.

Out of the bushes stepped out a man, wearing black jeans and a black hoodie.

Every hunter pointed their bows at the new threat. "Who are you?" asked Artemis. He just cocked his head to the side and continued to stare at the dracaena while it sobbed.

"Answer the question boy!" snarled Phoebe.

The dracaenae shrieked suddenly and disintegrated.

"What did you do!" demanded a furious and also slighty scared Goddess of the Hunt. Monsters can only disintegrate like that when faced with a god's true form.

The man did not respond and just watched the hunters with a slight smirk on his face.

And suddenly, one of the hunters shot an arrow at him. He just grinned widely and thrust his hand up.

Stopping the arrow an inch from his heart.

The man's demeanor changed immediately. He grabbed the arrow and snapped it, letting the fragments fall to the ground.

"That wasn't smart dear hunter," the man's voice echoed eerily around the clearing.

"Wh-who are you?" Thalia's voice shakily asked. She hated how she was feeling. She was suppose to be strong, not frightened.

"I believe your mistress already knows that answer," was his simple reply.

And Artemis did know the answer and she was scared of it. If someone was capable of scaring a monster to asking the hunters for help, it was truly a being to be feared.

"Are you The Destroyer?" she asked warily.

"Yes,"

The man seemed to change his attitude immediately.

Almost menacingly.

"I am the Destroyer, the fear of monsters,"

The man dropped his voice to a low whisper that the hunters had to strain their ears to hear.

"Do not dare try to find me or everything you know will be razed to the ground,"

And the man disappeared without a trace.

I stumbled when I reappeared in my campsite. I knew it was a bad idea to provoke the hunters even if their expressions were hilarious. I sat down hard at the tree stump I used as a chair. That disappearing act was a new trick I had found. I named it vapor travel. It must have been an ability children of Poseidon have.

Poseidon

I stopped thinking of him as my birth father. As if he truly cared for me.

Vapor traveling is similar to shadow traveling by children of Hades. But it is a lot more challenging.

Imagine this. Instead of going through a shadow, I have to focus my water powers and literally break down every molecule of my body and change it into water vapor. I can then move myself around but it only works for short distances, then I have concentrate to turn back. It is immensely tiring.

Definitely harder than shadow traveling.

I threw back my hood and glanced at my pathetic campsite. It consisted of a fire pit, a sleeping bag and my backpack.

I grabbed my backpack and opened it. Inside was my most valuable possession.

Inside the backpack lay five golden apples.

The apples of immortality.

This was the goal of my quest. To beat Landon and retrieve the apples.

It took months of training, living in the wilderness to prepare my body and mind.

And I did it.

I defeated Landon the Undefeated.

And what good did it do? I have no one now, my family at Camp Half Blood have found a new hero.

My brother, Orion.

My new life was challenging, that was for sure. For a week I was attacked by monsters, until they realized how much of a threat I was.

They must have thought I would have been an easy meal, a lone demigod, without a weapon.

They were wrong.

They call me the Destroyer for a reason. With no weapons I could kill monsters in an instant. How?

By evaporating the blood in the bodies.

Quite fun, but also quite tiring.

Of course I left a few alive. I wanted them to spread a rumor and a message to other monsters.

The rumor was that there was an all-powerful being that hunted and killed monsters mercilessly.

The message?

That the hunters would become the hunted. I hated seeing innocent demigods killed by monsters and I needed to blow off some steam.

And by steam I mean be as violent and destructive as possible.

I mean seriously, the look on the dracaena's face right before it died was priceless. I mean really, was I so terrifying that a monster would beg the Hunters of Artemis for help?

I zipped up my backpack and focused on the water vapor in the air. I made it pick up my backpack and place it by my sleeping bag. I have been training my water powers to do anything for me, that was how I stopped the arrow from killing me.

Now for the next part of my plan, I thought wryly. I condensed the water vapor to create a mist.

To create a rainbow.

I clutched my last golden drachma.

After a moment of hesitation I threw my drachma into the mist.

"O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, show me Sally Jackson,"

The mist shimmered and changed to a familiar small apartment. My mom sat on the couch alone. Apparently Paul was out. My mom was holding something in her arms a small bundle of cloth.

In a snap, I knew what it was.

"Hi mom," my voice cracking at the end, my eyes were threatening to start tearing up.

Her head snapped up.

"Percy, you've grown so much!" Than she noticed my eyes tearing up and she realized why.

"This is your little sister, Andromeda," she said happily, showing the sleeping child to me. She had to only be a few months old with a small patch of black hair and blue eyes.

"She's beautiful," I say softly, tears of happiness sliding down my cheek. I was so happy for my mom and Paul. I could have a new family member to take care of.

"I love her, when can I come visit my new sister," I ask eagerly.

"Actually Percy, there is something I have been wanting to tell you," she said avoiding looking at me.

"Yeah, what is it?" I was impatient, I wanted to see my new sister so badly. I wanted to give her the life I could never have.

"Percy, I don't think you should visit her," she began before I cut her off.

"What! Of course I'm going to see her, she's my sister!"

"Please Percy, don't make this harder than it already is. She is full mortal, and I want to keep it that way. I want her to be safe and oblivious to the Greek world. If you visit, you will attract monsters," she pleaded.

I was heartbroken. First camp, then I am banned by my own mother to see my sister.

"B-but please! I want to know her, I want to watch her take her first steps, I want her to have the life I could never have," the last part came out as a whisper.

"And you can give her that by not bringing her into the mythical world," she said firmly but also sadly.

More tears started to slid down my cheeks, but this time they were not from joy.

They were tears of a broken man.

This was the last straw, everything was finally taken away from me.

And I grew angry. "Fine, I will never visit her and you will never tell her of her brother, happy?" I snarl

"First camp, then my own mother betrays me,"

"Wait, Percy, what happened at camp?" she asked.

"Like you care! No one cares for me, I am loved by no one," I yell.

"Percy, what are you talking about? I love you, and so does Annabeth," defended my mother.

That drive me over the edge.

"Goodbye mother, see you in the Underworld," I spat out and slashed my hand through the mist ending the connection.

No one

I had no one

And what does a man want when he has nothing and no one?

That's easy.

He wants to die.

But first, I needed to say goodbye to the few people who actually cared for me.

I quickly picked up all my gear and wiped the tears furiously from my eyes.

I needed to go west.

To Camp Jupiter.

To see the friends who did not abandon me.

I turned and started walking west, through the forest.

As I walked, one stray thought crossed my mind.

Goodbye

One week.

One week was all it took for me to reach Camp Jupiter.

Not bad if I say so myself.

Especially if you were hunting monsters the entire way.

Currently I was watching the tunnel that leads to Camp Jupiter. There was two guards at the mouth of the tunnel and I really did not want to alert them.

I stood up from my crouched position and stretched my back. I was just outside the eyesight of the guards.

I reached into my backpack and pulled out a bag of drachmas. I formed some mist and chucked the bag through, it disappearing with a pop!

"Thank you Iris, for not revealing my location," I mutter. I knew she heard me because the mist faded away and left a gluten-free ROFL cupcake.

I had to chuckle at that.

I picked it up and weighed it. It would make an excellent distraction.

I crept closer to the tunnel entrance. Taking aim, I threw it at the guard at the right.

He went down like a rock.

The other guard drew a bow and looked around nervously for any enemies.

He turned to help his comrade and I chose that time to enter.

I vapor-traveled past the guards and through the tunnel. I passed over the Little Tiber and reformed myself. I made sure my hood was over my face and I headed towards New Rome.

There was a reason I was at New Rome. The rest of the Seven decided to live here except for Annabeth who stayed at Camp Half-Blood because of me.

A sharp pain went through my heart at the thought of her.

I pushed her out of my mind.

I had some people to see.

And apologize to, a small voice whispered in my head.

Shut up, I told it.

It was nearing sunrise and I knew Romans and Greeks alike would be waking up and either going to college or wandering the streets like I was now.

But at the moment, I liked being alone.

I thought of what I was going to say. Nothing came to mind.

The first apartment I found was Leo and Calypso's.

They got together when Leo asked for her to be freed at the end of the war.

I walked up to the door and knocked twice. A bleary eyed Leo opened it after a few minutes. "Yeah? What do you want?" He asked tiredly.

Then he saw me.

He dragged my into his house and locked the door.

"Where the hades have you been? We thought you were dead then you show up only to disappear for weeks!" he yelled "Please be quiet, I don't want anybody to hear us," I hiss at him mortified that someone would hear us.

"Fine," he said running his hands through his messy hair,"What do you want?"

I swallowed.

"I came to say sorry," I whispered.

"For what?" Leo looked confused.

"For everything I have ever done and-"

I swallowed again.

"-and everything I will do soon."

"What the hades does that mean?" he demanded.

But I was already gone.

The next apartment I visited was Frank and Hazel's.

Same response as Leo except that Hazel slapped me before I left.

Finally, it was Jason and Piper.

Instead of Jason opening the door, it was Piper. She looked at me and then she slapped me.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" she screeched.

"Ouch Piper, careful on the ears, will ya?" I said annoyed "And why does everyone keep slapping me?"

"Do you know how worried we were? How worried Annabeth was?" I flinched at her name.

"I don't care what she feels, it can't be anywhere close to how I feel," I snarled trying to control my rapidly increasing anger. "Percy... what happened to you?" she said looking at me sadly.

"They did, she did, it doesn't matter who did it, only that it happened," I whispered.

I look around their small apartment. Then I realized something. "Where's Jason?" I ask curiously.

"He's out..." seeing my pointed glare she continued," He's out looking for you,"

"What! Why?"

"You may not see it but the rest of us do. You can't go fight a war with a group of people and not come out as friends. Everything we have ever done together created a bond between us, we are your family," she said firmly.

"But we always fought each other and argued, why would he risk his life to search for me," I yell exasperated.

"Are you serious? Do you not understand what I just said?" she said incredulously. "We are a family and each and everyone of us would sacrifice ourselves to save another. You are our brother," she replied, placing her hands on my shoulders, looking at me seriously.

"Fine," I grumbled but I was secretly grateful for their loyalty to me.

"So when are you going back to Camp Half-Blood?" she asked curiously.

I stiffened. "Hopefully never,"

She looked at me pityingly.

I didn't want it, yet I was thankful.

"You are a true friend Piper, take care of the camps and the other seven for me,"

She frowned, "It sounds like your saying goodbye,"

I laughed at that.

"Whatever happens Piper, remember me, remember everything I have done for Olympus. Keep the legend of Percy Jackson alive, so that one day a more worthy hero might take my place,"

"But-"

"Please, do it for me," I stared into her eyes, trying to convey the importance of what I was trying to say.

She swallowed nervously but then determination lit up her eyes.

"No matter what people say, you are a hero, a true hero, the greatest hero," she told me, her voice unwavering.

"That was a long time ago,"

She glanced back up at me. "Don't you dare-"

"Percy Jackson was a hero, he would do anything for his friends but he died. He died along time ago. I am nothing more than a memory, I am broken," I whisper. "But thank you anyways."

I start to vapor travel away, but not before catching one last glimpse of her sad smile before it faded away.

I stood in front of the DOA recording studio in Los Angeles or in the mythological world, the Underworld.

I push through the doors and strode up to Charon at his desk. "Next trip," I told him flipping him a coin.

"Certainly," was his only response as he headed to the elevator.

The elevator was empty inside except for the two of us. "I know what you are going to do," Charon said calmly not looking up at me. "There are other ways, you don't have to do this," he said as the walls of the elevator slowly melted away.

"Not for me," I told him. "I will admit I dislike you, but it is not your time to die, you have many more years to live and I really don't want to see you earlier then I have to," he said finally looking up at me and I saw something in his eyes I thought I would never see from him.

I saw pity.

He continued, "You do not need to kill yourself-"

I interrupted him with a harsh laugh. "I don't plan on killing myself, I pride myself on being smarter than that Charon,"

He just looked at me sorrowfully before turning away. The elevator was now a barge floating alongside the millions of dreams that were thrown away when a person died.

We were on the River Styx.

I unslung my backpack and held in front of me. "To the Lady Styx," and I dropped it into the river.

Charon raised an eyebrow, "What was that suppose to do?"

Instead, I just watched the river. The point where I dropped it in started to glow and the whole river started to bubble. For a second, I was afraid that I would be vaporized but a blue glow spread across the entire river, dissolving every lost dream, leaving the river clean.

"Well that was interesting," was Charon's only response. His bluntness was refreshing. Suddenly, something out of the river jumped out and landed in my arms. I examined it.

It was five metal water bottles held together by a length of cord. I pulled one out and held it closely. It was made of Stygian Iron and each of them was empty. I gave a silent thank you to the Goddess of the Styx.

We finally reached the pier where Charon would let me out. As I stepped on land, I heard Charon call my name one last time. " Perseus Jackson, whatever happens and if you survive the night, remember, you are a hero,"

It was the exact same thing Piper said to me.

"And if you tell anyone, I will deny it," I laughed as he turned and directed his barge back down the now clean, waters of the River Styx.

As soon as he was out of sight, I grabbed a water bottle and focused on my water abilities. It took work but I managed to control some of the river water and directed it into a bottle. I twisted the cap tightly shut and thought, "One down, four more to go," and with that thought, I headed deeper into the Underworld.

I passed through the crowds of the undead, I saw the occasional monster but as soon as they saw me, they took off in the other direction. I saw Cerberus in the distance and he barked at me. I smiled at him.

The next river was the Lethe. I was extra careful with that water. I didn't want to end up like Bob.

After that was the Acheron, the river of woe. Then the Cocytus, the river of lamentations, and finally the Phlegethon, the river of fire and healing. Soon, I had five heavy water bottles filled with the most dangerous waters in the known world. I walked back towards the banks of the River Styx. I grabbed my last drachma and evaporated some water from the Styx. That took some effort.

I created a mist and threw it in. "Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering, show me Nico Di Angelo," I say tiredly. I really hope he doesn't kill me.

His face showed up on the message, his expression changed from shock to anger to relief. "Hey Nico," I say nonchalantly. "Everyone is panicking, trying to find you and when you call me, the first thing you say is Hey," he said slowly, obviously trying to calm down. "Yeah sorry about that, but can you do me a favor?"

"Maybe," he looked at me suspiciously.

"Can you get Thalia and everyone else at both camps including the gods. I got something to tell them,"is

"What for? And where are you?" his glare changed to a look of curiosity. "Underworld and can you just do it?" I begged him. "Fine, but you owe me," and he cut off the connection.

I grimaced. This was going to take awhile.

So I started to set my plan in motion.

I opened each bottle gingerly, treating it like greek fire. I made sure each bottle was secure on the ground, I'd really hate to spill some.

When that was done, I waited.

For exactly one hour, and I know that because I counted.

I saw a massive shadow form about twenty feet away from me and saw it deposit a large group of demigods. I bet Hades helped with that. When they regained their footing, one of them looked up and saw me. It was Nico.

"Perseus Jackson! Where the Hades have you been!?" I flinched as he glowered at me. "Um... Hey?" I offered weakly. "Son, I would prefer if you didn't use my name as a swear word," said a very annoyed Hades. Nico ignored him.

I looked at the crowd and recognized my friends. Thalia, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, Leo and many more. People that cared about me.

None of them stepped out, instead they were watching me with mixed expressions. I realized they did not want a replay of what happened at the campfire. Smart.

I saw Athena finally take a step forward. "Perseus, stop this madness and come home," I shake my head softly at that, "Not anymore and I have a feeling that is hasn't for a long time," looking at Annabeth who gave a strangled sob.

"You deserve to know why I brought you here," I heard a cough from the crowd,"Actually Perce, I brought them here," Nico put in. "Shut up Death breath," I said smiling. I had a feeling that was the last time I would smile in a long time.

"May I have your full attention please!" I shout, clapping my hands together, startlling a few campers. "Actually, I already your full attention. Whoops," I muttered that last part.

"I gathered you all here today to say goodbye,"

"Um... Fish Face, you've been gone for weeks, why say goodbye now?" said a confused and also furious Thalia. I matched her glare with a calm stare. "That was only temporarily, this will be more... permanent."

"What does that mean Perseus Jackson? If you hurt yourself, you hurt all of us, is that what you want?" That was Rachel. I narrowed my eyes at her. "Really? How about when you hurt me?" I gestured to the rest of the group. "How about when you all hurt me? I saw you at the campfire, saw all of you there." I saw the curious and angry faces of my roman friends and amended that statement. "Except the Romans of course and a few of the Gods."

Finally my father, stepped forwards, "Percy, I-"

"Save it!" I snarled, cutting him off. "I don't want to listen to you,"

"After all, I'm only useful when I save the world right? Any other time you go to the next hero until you need me again," "Percy, that's not true! I love you!" Annabeth finally cried out. I glanced down at her hand and saw a small flash of light. I knew what to say next.

"Really? Then why are you still wearing my brother'sring? That's a load of minotaur dung and you know it.

I shake my head sadly at them, my anger draining out of me. "You don't understand," I whisper, "I'm so tired, tired of everything," "I'm tired of being used and I'm tired of being betrayed,'

I turn towards Athena, "You were right Lady Athena, my flaw would be my downfall,"

"My flaw does not just mean I would sacrifice the world for a friend, it means when I am betrayed by the ones I trust, the ones I am loyal to, it kills me. It hurts, it hurts so much."

"So what are you going to do Jackson? Kill yourself? I never thought you would take the coward's way out," sneered Clarisse. My eyes narrowed.

I will the water of the Underworld to float out of the bottles. I start to make separate steams that float around my body. "What is that?" asked Athena curiously. "The five rivers of the Underword,' I said with a small smile.

Too late, realization and horror reached their faces. I forced each river to accumulate over my head, trying to combine them but the waters repelled each other like magnets. It hovered over my head ready to drop. "Percy! Please, don't do this," Annabeth cried, finally shaking off her shock.

I smiled sadly, "Go, go be the hero I could never be. Become true heroes,"

I closed my eyes.

"I renounce my titles as Fear of Monsters, Bane of Titans and the Defeater of Gaea. I renounce my title as Hero of Olympus." I closed my eyes.

"I renounce Poseidon as my father, I renounce my powers over water,"

I opened my eyes.

I only managed to see one last horrified expression on all of my friend's faces before the five Rivers of the Underworld crashed down on me and everything went black.

Time seemed to stand still for the heroes. At the foot of the Giant King Porphyrion, lay two bound demigods. And not just any demigods.

Two of the Seven, Annabeth Chase and Leo Valdez. Everyone froze, watching with horror as Porphyrion slashed a deep cut into both of the demigods hands, letting their blood hit the base of Mount Olympus.

"With this sacrifice of blood, I awaken the Earth Mother!" he roared as he gleefully watched as the ground seemed to absorb the blood.

I watched in fear as the entire Earth shook as Gaea, the goddess of the Earth finally awoke. I couldn't move. We had failed and the end of the world was probably at hand. Part of me wanted to run to Annabeth and Leo and free them while everyone was distracted. The other half of me was rooted to the ground in terror. I had not even been this afraid when we faced Tartarus, but the overwhelming sense of guilt overcame me.

We had failed.

I tried to move but couldn't. I looked down and saw that I actually couldn't move because the Earth held me in place. I struggled to break free, but the Earth would not relinquish it's hold on me.

The Gods, Greeks and Romans alike, watched in silence as the Earth split open, revealing a chasm that must have gone all the way to Tartarus. A lone figure rose from the gorge and opened her eyes.

I caught my breath. Gaea was beautiful, she was not made of dirt as everyone assumed but rather had flawless skin the color of coffee, her long straight hair was the color of obsidian. She had high cheek bones and a regal expression.

But that didn't change how evil she was.

Her eyes were green, but nothing like mine. Where as mine were sea green, hers was the green of an untamed forest. A bright green, the color that catches your eyes and hypnotizes you. The eyes of a true daughter of Chaos.

It finally sunk in what we were fighting. I've fought Gods and Titans, but Gaea was on a whole other level. I tried to remember what Gaea was. She wasn't just a god, she was a more powerful, she was one of the oldest goddesses.

She was a Protogenoi.

A Primordial.

Suddenly, our chances for winning seemed very low. But we couldn't give up. We had to win.

I turned to my friends.

My family.

"We need to rescue them, Piper and Hazel, can you do that?" I ask them. They nod grimly back at me. I continued, "Jason and Frank, protect them," they both nod but Frank looks at me questioningly.

"What are you going to do Percy?" he asked. "I got Gaea," I replied flatly,"No one touches my friends," My friends just look at me sadly, resigned to the fact that they could not change my mind.

I turned to the gods and demigods. Both were battered and exhausted. Too many were injured. Too many were missing.

Too many were dead.

I raised my sword and spoke clearly.

"I once fought in a great battle, very much like this one. We succeeded against impossible odds. And we will do so again."

"You are the greatest heroes of the ages. Your bravery is unmatched and strength is immeasurable. Today, we fight, not just for ourselves, but for the future. We fight for our loved ones, we fight for the future generations that will look up to us in respect. We fight for a life without tyranny, a life worth living. We fight, FOR OLYMPUS!"

The two armies, one Greek and the other Roman, roared consent as one. Today they might die fighting but they would die in honor. They would die for each other. Today they were not separated by the aspect of their parents, they were family.

They were one.

I took off running as the army charged behind me and started to engage the monsters. I saw my father fight Polybotes and Zeus blast lightning at Porphyrion. I glanced over to my friends and saw Frank, as a giant eagle, carry Hazel across the gorge. I also saw Jason carry Piper using his son of Jupiter powers. Smart. Don't travel by Earth. That was Gaea's domain and her's alone.

And I did the stupidest thing I ever done in my whole life.

Worse than fighting Ares, worse than bathing in the Styx or even fighting Kronos.

I charged Gaea.

A sneer adorned her face as she waited for me to approach. A sword appeared in her hand. A sword that looked hewn from the mountainside. Its jagged edges looked deadly as she swung it lazily back and forth. "So the lone demigod has come to defeat me," she mocked me. I shivered unintentionally. Her voice did not match her appearance, it was rough as if she hadn't used it for centuries. It reminded me of two rocks being ground against each other.

My stride faltered. I was injured and exhasted from fighting all day. Even if I was at full strength, how could I even hope to defeat Gaea?

My thoughts were interupted by a harsh laugh from Gaea. "Doubting yourself now, Perseus Jackson?" I cleared my head. Even if I died today, I would die protecting my family.

I met her strike with my own.

For a second, her smile faded, but returned ever so quickly.

"Look around Perseus, you can't possibly win. The Gods are tiring and my sons are still strong as ever. Look around at the demigods, how many of your brethren are dead or missing? Give up and you will have quick death,"

My vision turned red.

"One, my name is Percy. Two, stop threatening me with death, it's getting old. And three, never mention my family!" I yelled.

I shoved her back and tried for an upward slash. She blocked with her blade faster than I thought possible. "Don't you see? Everything you are fighting for will fall, it's not a matter if but a matter of when. Just give up now,"

"Never!" I snarled glaring.

We fought back and forth, parry, thrust, block. Every move I tried was blocked by her impenetrable defense. And every time she attacked me I could barely deflect the attack. Each hit felt like a battering ram.

I don't know how long we were fighting, but I could hardly move my sword. My moves were getting sluggish. I saw Frank and Hazel free Annabeth and Leo and they headed towards their parents to help fight the Giants.

Then, with horror, sick realization hit me.

Gaea was only toying with me.

She was not even showing me a sliver of her true power.

And that made me mad.

With a final effort, I shoved her back, surprising her. I took a few steps back. Gaea, sensing victory, offered me one last chance. "This is your last chance Jackson, give up now and you will suffer less," she smiled smugly, assuming I was giving up.

I did no such thing.

Grasping the last vestiges of my powers, I focused my most powerful ability. The hurricane.

As it's power was building up, I raised my sword and charged one last time. Gaea laughed as she lifted her sword to what she thought would be her final blow.

It didn't happen that way.

I feinted to the left.

And Gaea fell for it. Her eyes opened up in horror as I spun to the right and thrust my sword into her heart.

She laughed, "I am a Primordial, one strike cannot-"

She didn't get any farther as a hurricane erupted from within her.

She screamed as my most powerful attacked ripped her physical form apart, this hurricane was the strongest I had ever made and my already low energy drained dangerously lower.

She managed one last glare filled with utter loathing as she crumbled into golden dust.

The battlefield was silent as everyone watched with awe and respect at the single demigod who had taken down a goddess.

Then I blacked out.

I sat up gasping for air. I blinked furiously as I tried to take in my surroundings.

"Sit back little one," a soft voice spoke from my right. I looked to my right and saw a beautiful woman.

She had black straight hair that fell to her waist. Her skin was the color of cocoa and her eyes were a deep, dark blue, almost black in color. She wore a traditional Greek chiton and golden sandals that climbed up her ankle. She also looked surprisingly familiar.

"Who are you?" I managed to croak out. She smiled sadly at me, "I think you know Perseus,"

"It's Percy,"I replied automatically. But she did look familiar.

My eyes traveled down to her dress. It flickered and wavered but I managed to catch a glimpse of somethingvery familiar.

It was an old teddy bear. A thrown away dream.

I knew who she was.

"Lady Styx," I said respectfully, bowing my head slightly.

"You recognize me," she noted.

"Where am I?"

She sighed, "You are in my domain, the first river if the Underworld, the Styx,"

To say I was confused would be an understatement. "If this is the Styx, why does look like this?"

A second later, I asked the more important question. "And if this is the Styx, why haven't I dissolved yet?"

She smiled warmly at me. "It appears like this-" she gestured around the room, "because I willed it too,"

Her expression suddenly darkened. "I will answer your second question shortly," I opened my mouth to argue but she just flicked her hand and my mouth shut with a snap.

"What exactly were you trying to do when you doused yourself in the rivers?" My mouth finally opened, "I have no idea what your talking about,"

She threw her hands up in exasperation, "Fine, I will remind you. You had an idea that using the five rivers will-"

I cut her off, "Will cause someone to fade rather than die, destroying their soul completely, leaving no chance for an afterlife,"

She looked at me carefully, her eyes flowing like that of a river. "And you wonder why it didn't work,"

It wasn't a question.

"When you immersed yourself in the water, you did dissolve," she said quietly, looking down. "Then how am I alive?" I asked, scared and curious about her response. What she said chilled me to the bone.

"You are immortal,"

I froze, my thoughts traveling at a million miles an hour. After what felt like forever, I managed to stutter out, "Wh-What?" My expression must have been priceless because she laughed, a soft laugh that echoed before falling silent. Her eyes glistened with mixed emotions, joy and was that sadness?

"Percy," she began, "When you bathed in the rivers, it dissolved your mortal soul, they were too powerful for you too handle, including that you gave up your demigod abilities which means you had even less power,"

"That doesn't explain why I'm here,"

She looked proudly at me, "You managed to do the impossible Percy Jackson," her voice full of respect.

"When your mortal soul was incinerated, your body absorbed the essence of each river, making you immortal. In your body lies the essence of each sacred river; Styx, Acheron, Phlegethon, Cocytus and Lethe. You have united my sisters once again and for that, we are forever grateful,"

"I still don't see what that makes me," I finally said.

After what felt like eternity, she finally responded, her voice impossibly soft.

"Percy, you are the heart of the rivers, the son of the rivers. You are my son," she said, holding her hands out.

My mind went blank. I could have a new family, a family that would love me.

What I did next surprised me and my new mother.

I lunged out of my bed and ran into her arms, embracing her as she whispered loving words in my ear as any mother would. "I always wanted a son," she whispered as sobs racked her body.

I made up my mind. Nothing would harm my new family. "I will love you forever, I swear it on Styx," I whispered back at her. I couldn't see her face as she hugged me but I knew she was smiling.

Eventually, she pulled away, tears staining her cheeks. I used my hand to brush them away. She smiled and in her eyes I saw something I had only seen in a few people.

Love, Pure love. She loved me and I loved her. And I would never leave her.

"Come, lets meet your other parents," she said while pulling out the door. When I finally exited the room, it shimmered before disappearing. For the first time, I saw the Styx while not dissolving.

It was beautiful.

The water was dark but pure. I could see through the river perfectly but I assumed that was because "I was one with the river". We walked along the riverbed as I could feel the emotions of the river. I tried to remember the power the Styx had. It was the greatest oath you could swear but it had domains as well. The Styx was the River of Hate as well as the River of Mortality and Invulnerability.

I was pulled out of my musing when we approached four beings. They had to be gods, they emitted power that just flowed out of them. But I didn't feel any urge to bow and grovel at their feet, they felt almost familar.

That thought was wiped from my mind as I was tackled.

I hit the ground with a grunt as I was enveloped with a hug by a women with bright red flowing hair. She kept crying and muttering, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I looked up to my mom with an expression that clearly said help me!

She just chuckled and said, "Don't look at me and why don't you say hello to your other mother,"

I froze again as the women on top of me pulled back just enough for me to see her face. She had bright red hair that formed curls, her pale skin accented her rose red lips.

But what captivated me were her eyes.

They moved and flowed like the Styx except her eyes were flames. Continuously moving, never halting in their actions. I knew who she was. Her eyes reminded me of a certain river in Tartarus.

"You're the Phlegethon," I guessed.

She squealed happily and hugged me tighter.

"Now now, little sis, don't kill our new son so quickly," a new voice called out.

Phlegethon let go of me as I turned to see the owner's of the voices. I already assumed they were my other parents.

The one on the left stepped forwards and I assumed it was the Lady Acheron. She wore greek armor with a red cape. Her brown hair was done up in a bun. She wore a stern expression, the one of a commander. Her eyes were a murky green but they shown with determination and pride.

She ran up giving me a hug and a kiss on my forehead. "Thank you Percy, for reuniting my sisters," I blushed at that.

I turned to the sister in the middle and was confused on who it was. She wore a dark blue chiton and radiated a sense of melancholy. Her obsidian black hair fell down her back. She was dark skinned, much like Lady Styx.

It only took one glance at her eyes to know who she was.

Lady Cocytus

Tears ran streams down her cheeks as she burst out sobbing.

Then I remembered. She was the Goddess of the River of Lamentations.

Oh

I rushed to her side and held her tightly. She clung to me and I looked over at my new parents. They were laughing holding their sides. This must have been common. I just rolled my eyes.

I finally pried her off me and she bounded over to her sisters like nothing happened.

I turned to the final sister. It was obvious who she was. The first clue?

She was not paying any attention.

"Hello? Sister?" Acheron tried but the last sister did not even look up. I sighed, walked up to her and hugged her. Her eyes focused and she looked at me warmly. "Hello mom," her smile grew even larger. "My name is Lethe," she said with a tone of finality. "Really? I didn't know," came a very sarcastic reply from Lady Styx. She wore a pure white dress that shimmered faintly. Her skin was the color of porcelain. Her eyes were gray but not that of a child of Athena. I had to turn away from her gaze, I was starting to become light headed.

I turned to face them. They were my family. A grin spread across my face.

Then, a thought crossed my mind. "If I'm immortal, does that mean I am a god?"

Acheron waved her hand and six seats appeared. "Sit, this will take awhile,"

"Let's start off with this first, do you know who we truly are?" I was confused by this but I still responded, "You are the goddesses of the rivers of the Underworld,"

She sighed and said, "That is only a half-truth. We are stronger than most gods, we are the children of Hydros, the Primordial god of water and Nyx, the Primordial goddess of night. What does that make us?"

Different choices ran through my head. Were they Titans? But I realized something. Primordials are stronger than gods or Titans combined. I had only won against Gaea because I surprised her.

They were Primordials.

"I see you have figured it out," Lethe noticed. "Bu-but how?" I asked stunned. "This is a little known fact, Primordials are personifications, are they not? But then aren't naiads and nymphs simply a spirit that inhabits a natural object?"

"That's what we are, we are the first river nymphs, we are personifications in our own right. And we are powerful."

"You are our son, which makes you even stronger than us," I wanted to speak but Styx's eyes flashed for a moment. "We will continue this conversation later, we have some guests,"

Styx waved her hand and we suddenly appeared on the banks of the Styx. And in front of us were three familiar beings.

"Lady Fates, why are you here?" I ask, bowing low.

"Perseus Jackson," I flinched at my full name, "You have broken an Ancient Law. The Rivers were never to meet, they were cursed to stay in their own domain,"

"That's not fair!" I protested but they continued regardless, "And you have defied the fates,"

That stopped my parents who were walking up to my side to protect me. "How did he do that," asked Phlegethon, uncharacteristically serious.

"The rivers are too powerful to be together, yet he managed to bring them together. He is the heart of the rivers."

"Yeah? So? How is that a bad thing," I asked them frustrated. I knew they were the all-powerful fates but why would they stop the five sisters from meeting?

"And you have returned someone from death, someone very close to you," they said together. I was confused by everything. I brought someone back to life?

The three sisters of fate moved to the side as I saw a prone figure on the ground behind them. I ran to her but froze. It was impossible, but the girl on the ground was an old friend. A friend that died in front of me.

Laying on the ground, very much alive, was Zoe Nightshade.

I rushed to the side of Zoe, as her eyes slowly flickered open. "Percy?" I helped her sit up as she tried to regain her bearings. "Where are we?" she asked before she suddenly clenched her eyes shut as her body shook. "What's happening to her?" I yell at the Fates, which in hindsight was a terrible idea. "Percy, maybe you shouldn't yell at the Fates," Lethe said nervously, looking between me and the Fates. "No, that's fine," said the Fate holding a ball of yarn.

Lachesis, the Measurer of Life.

She continued speaking, "He is, after all, our nephew,"

"You're joking right?" I finally said once my brain processed the words. Their expressions didn't change once. "The Fates are the Eldest children of Nyx, formed from the essence of Night and Destiny or Nyx and Ananke. Very much the same way you were reborn. That makes them our older sisters," said Styx carefully.

"Terrible sisters," I heard Phlegathon mutter but everyone ignored her. "But to answer your question Perseus, she is being forcefully brought back to life," said the Fate with shears, the one who cuts the thread of life, Atropos, the one who cannot be changed.

"Forcefully?"

"The Doors of Death were sealed, she was brought back by the imbalance of power when you returned her immortal power," I held Zoe tighter as her convulsions slowly ceased, and her eyes, black as volcanic rocks, opened and met mine. "What happened to thy eyes?" Zoe asked startled, not noticing our location or our godly "guests". I looked up at Styx questioningly. She looked at me with pride before summoning a full length mirror. I let go of Zoe and stood up, gazing into the mirror with awe.

It was me and yet, it wasn't me at the same time.

I stood at my old height of 6'2 and had the same messy black hair. My facial features had changed, making me look like an ancient Greek king. I looked godly. But what captured my attention the most were my eyes.

They flowed and twisted, moving like a living creature. They flashed red, dark blue, then black before ending back on red. It was unsettling to say the least. But also mesmerizing at the same time.

I looked down and yelped, what was I wearing?

I had a traditional Greek chiton but it was dark blue, I was wearing golden sandals that traveled up my ankles. I was visibly more muscled than before. I glanced back at the mirror.

"Cool clothes but how do I change?"

"I wake up after dying and thou are concerned about the way thee is dressed?" I heard Zoe say before she faltered. "Wait…Did I really die? It seems like it was only a dream," She said in soft voice. I turned and strode back to Zoe holding her tight as sobs racked her body. "It's okay Zoe, I'm here. I won't ever leave you," And I meant it.

I pulled Zoe with me to my waiting family and the Fates, waving my hand and imagining the mirror was gone. To my surprise, it disappeared. It seemed I had natural talent and my powers. Zoe looked at me curiously through her tearstained eyes but I sent her a look. Later

Zoe's eyes widened as she kneeled in respect. "Why do you kneel for us child? Are you afraid of us?" The Three Sisters of Fate spoke in unison. Zoe surprised me by answering in a determined voice, "I kneel not because I fear thy power, but because I respect thee and the balance thy maintain in the universe,"

The three sisters nodded to each other, "You have proven yourself worthy,"

Zoe shifted uncomfortably, "Worthy of what?"

Lachesis spoke separately, "To become our champion of course, our nephew," she stared at me disapprovingly, "Our nephew brought you back to life by an imbalance of power, he changed fate but we sense that you will be needed in the future. We give you the offer to become the First Champion of Fate, do you accept?"

Her face held a myriad of expressions, first shock, and then it slowly shifted into pride.

"I accept,"

The Fates each placed a hand on her forehead and she started to glow a bright white. I didn't look away because I knew I wouldn't disintegrate. After a moment, the sisters pulled their hands away and the glow faded away. Zoe's outfit changed from a silver hunter's outfit to a startlingly white cloak with a hood. She had a silver bow over her shoulder and a long hairclip in her hair. With a shock I realized it was riptide Zoe looked at herself appraisingly apparently liking the new look.

"Being our champion restores your immortality and increases your skills and senses. Now that you have regained your sword, Perseus will teach you how to wield it as he is the greatest Greco-Roman swordsman,"

I blushed at that, "I'm not the greatest hero, there are plenty of heroes that have surpassed me," I tried to argue.

Everyone sighed in exasperation; Zoe, my mothers, and the Fates. "One day Percy, one day you will realize your worth in the world," said Acheron gently.

"We must go, look after our champion nephew," said the Fates before they disappeared.

Zoe turned to me, "Now, will someone tell me what just happened?" she asked annoyed.

"Thou are insane," was Zoe's only comment after I told her what happened to me at camp and what happened to me when I bathed in the rivers. Apparently, when her spirit was placed in the stars, she joined the Court of Ouranos. Ouranos was still awake unlike his wife Gaea but could only maintain a disembodied form. He allowed her to view the events on Earth from the second Titan war and the second Giant war. So all I had to tell her was after I gave up riptide. She had pulled riptide from her hair and studied it, proving I wasn't lying.

Still, Zoe can be stubborn when she wanted to.

"Zoe, please," I sighed exasperated. We had been going on for hours and my ever so helpful mothers were watching in amusement. "No Perseus, I will not and cannot believe this-" she was cut off. "For the love of Chaos girl, your accent is annoying!" exclaimed Lethe while placing her palm against Zoe's forehead. There was a flash of a bright, white light and Lethe removed her hand. "There," she said satisfied, "I replaced your accent with modern English,"

"How did you do that?" Zoe asked incredulously before her eyes widened in surprise. "I'm the spirit of the Lethe which is the River of Forgetfulness, which deals with erasing memories…" Lethe gave a pointed look at Zoe.

Zoe still looked confused by I started to get it. "It means that the memories don't just dissolve forever, Lady Lethe retains all of the memories of every single person who takes a dip in her river. Which I think means she can transfer memories between people." I said. My mothers nodded in agreement and proceeded to tell Zoe to accept it or die.

That made me crack up because I knew they were not serious (well maybe not Acheron, she could be pretty menacing when she wants to) but Zoe didn't know that. Once I finished laughing and Zoe stopped glaring at me, I asked the question that was foremost on my mind.

"So what now?"

Cocytus smiled widely which was strange with tears dripping from her face but I ignored that. "The two of you will be a team, Percy will be the judgment bringer on those who break their oaths on Styx, and Zoe will reenact the will of the Fates,"

"So do we leave now?" I asked while gesturing at my ancient Greek attire.

"No," Styx said almost menacingly, "Now you train,"

I front-flipped over the broad sword that was swung at my knees, and swung my sword in my left hand. She parried and went for a quick thrust at my ribs. If I hadn't been training for a year, I would have never been able to block the strike. But luckily for me, I did.

I brought both my swords to the side and neatly flicked her sword to my left. That's when I saw my chance.

Twisting my body around, I knocked the broadsword out of her hands and I placed my twin blades on her neck, Alpha on her throat and Omega on the back of her neck. All it would take to kill her would be one swift movement.

"Do you yield?"

"I yield," Acheron said smiling, "It seems that the student had surpassed the teacher,"

I removed my swords and sheathed them on the scabbard on my back. I bowed respectfully and said "That it may seem to be, but I will always be your student,"

She smacked me on the back of my head and I let out an indignant yelp. "What was that for mom?" I whined, probably not sounding like the super powerful primordial I was.

"I know you too well Percy, you hate being respectful." Acheron said smugly, "You are still connected to the sea and the sea does not like to be tamed,"

I stiffened, "I do not see Poseidon as my father anymore Mom, and you should know that better than anyone,"

She just smiled at me like she knew something I didn't, but I couldn't really get mad at her.

"Now, you are going to be late," she said picking up her sword where it dropped. My heart sank, as I realized our match went on longer than it was supposed to. "Got to go Mom, I'll see you at dinner," I yelled over my shoulder as I took off running out of our makeshift stadium. Controlling the Acheron waters, I burst out of the river, and headed to the Heart of the Rivers. Even though the Rivers Goddesses could freely move throughout the world, they were accustomed to living in their river, so they normally resided there. And even though I first met them all in the Styx, they can't stay in their sister's domain for too long so they either meet in the mortal world or in my domain.

My domain or as my mother's refer to it, the Heart, is the one place in the entire world where all five rivers meet and mix. It was impossible to comprehend but I at least understood that it was my source of power.

I was the Heart and the Heart was me.

I finally reached the meeting place of the five rivers, watching the Acheron rush past me in a deafening torrent of water where it could finally meet its sister's waters. I crested the hill and was struck with a familiar, awe inspiring sight.

The Heart can appear as two very different things depending on how I feel or how it needs to function. It can be a paradise for great mortals or even greater heroes that I chose. It even surpassed Elysium in its greatness. The water's had properties that would give the dead a physical body.

Currently, it appeared as an island, mirroring Calypso's island home. The shore was made of pure white sand, not a glimpse of pollution could be seen. Palm trees flowed in the wind, and the sound of bird calls echoed in the forest. The waters glistened in the light, not shining like any river specifically but changed colors as it shifted. A wave would form of liquid fire and crashed into the shore as dark blue water.

And it currently only had one inhabitant living there.

But that was not all this paradise could do.

It could also appear as punishment worse than Tartarus. I chose the worst of the worst to be sent there. When an evil soul was sent to the Heart, the waters would swirl violently and would change to the darkest black imaginable. The soul would be tossed into the river as they screamed in agony. The Heart would literally disintegrate the soul, similar to being claimed by the Styx but they would not be kept alive. They would be erased from existence completely, not to return to any afterlife.

I ran to the shore, diving in and becoming the Heart as my conscious was spread throughout my domain. I needed to get to the island fast or I would be castrated.

Zoe did not like being kept late.

Camp Half-Blood

One year

We have been searching for one year, mused Thalia as the Hunters walked into camp

She had been depressed and angry at everything but Nico and the hunters these days.

She wanted to wring the camper's necks and some of the gods as well. She couldn't believe Poseidon would have another son and favored him more than Percy. She couldn't believe Annabeth fell in love with him. Even she could see that kid was trouble.

Annabeth

Thalia didn't know what to think about the girl she raised on the run. Annabeth knew what Percy did for her, Hades, everyone did.

But that didn't stop her.

A figure burst from the shadows on her right causing the hunters to aim their bows. Thalia waved them down when she recognized him.

"Hey Nico,"

Nico just nodded at her, trying to communicate a message through his eyes. She understood.

"Go set up at our cabin," she ordered, the rest of the Hunt did so immediately. As soon as they left, Thalia turned back to Nico, "Explain," she commanded.

He looked at her mournfully, worse than how Grover looked for months. "I've found nothing, he's not in the Underworld, so he can't be dead, and I haven't found anything in the mortal world. You got anything?"

"No, we even split the Hunt up and searched the entire country; we even went to Alaska, no sigh of him anywhere." Thalia said, shifting her bow nervously.

"How about that mystery guy you met when Percy first went missing, have you seen him again?" Nico asked curiously as they started walking into camp. "No, we haven't seen him and I'm glad we haven't, he freaked out Artemis,"

"Where the Hades is that Kelp Head?!" Thalia yelled exasperated, throwing her hands in the air. The sun was sinking and campers were streaming out of the pavilion, apparently having already eaten dinner. The two cousins headed to the campfire, as everyone else was too. "What's going on?" Thalia asked a random camper, "I don't know, we got a message from the gods telling us to be there," he said while shrugging. They sat down just as the fireplace flared up and the gods appeared.

Chiron trotted up nervously, "Lords and Ladies, what do we owe the pleasure?"

Zeus looked haggard as spoke, "We have had the opportunity to make some changes to the camps, first off, will all camp counselors step forwards,"

It took a while but eventually all of the counselors stood up front nervously. Katie grabbed Travis' hand nervously and Travis blushed brighter than the Ares' cabin.

"We have decided to give partial immortality to you because of your actions in the Titan War and the Giant War. You will serve as guides to future heroes and will fight in any recurring wars." Zeus announced.

There was a bright flash of light and the counselors stood a litter straighter with a proud grin on their faces.

"Second, we have decided to combine the camps here at Long Island, as certain events have proven in the past, it is finally time for you to live with your brothers and sisters," he said looking at Annabeth and Orion, who had just received immortality as he was a counselor, with his arm around her, "I trust our architect to create the plans for this?"

Annabeth just nodded proudly. Thalia couldn't help but wonder why Annabeth had changed so much.

"The centurions and Praetors in Camp Jupiter will have the same immortality as the counselors as well," Hestia added.

Zeus started to speak, probably to end the meeting but was suddenly cut off.

Rachel rose from her feet and swooned, her eyes growing green as the Oracle spoke through her,

"Risen has the Legends that cannot die,

Cursed are the ones who have lived a lie,

Fallen from the stars, a hero returns,

Seek salvation through the river that burns,

This is the End,

She collapsed as the gods and campers alike erupted in a deafening roar of questions and opinions.

Disclaimer: I do not, I repeat, do not own Percy Jackson.

Percy's POV

I could hear my heart beating as five figures stood in front of me. Zoe stood next to me and she held her head proudly even though her eyes betrayed her.

This would be the day we can finally enter the real world. We hadn't been up there for five years. All our time was spent training and learning new skills.

I was dressed in formal Greek armor that reflected the current state of the Heart. Over my shoulders in a back scabbard were my twin swords, Alpha and Omega, crossed over each other.

They were dual wield blades, meaning I would hold one in each hand when fighting. The best defense is offense. Since I used no shield, I had to create a new fighting style for myself.

I had made a very unique fighting style, every attack would be a slash and I frequently spun in circles to confuse my opponent and to slash at them with both blades, one after the other. And I would never stop moving or take a step back. I learned to always deflect a strike, never stop it directly.

Alpha was a three foot long sword with the blade made of Imperial gold with a hilt made of silver that had designs crafted into it that resembled a flowing river. Omega was the exact opposite, it was the same length but the blade was made of silver, which was also a perfect monster slaying weapon, and the hilt was made of gold with the same gilded designs.

I was the perfect warrior, powerful, brave, and determined.

Deadly

Zoe wore her white cloak gifted to her by the Fates, which I once jokingly called it the designer clothing that were Fated for her.

She stabbed me with riptide.

It's lucky I am immortal, because I had to reform at the Heart.

Speaking of riptide, it was in the form of a pure white pin that shown in the light. Her braided hair hung over her shoulder.

The five figures in front of us took a step forwards and I could see them easily. My mothers; Styx, Acheron, Lethe, Cocytus and Phlegethon.

Each of them had a serious and solemn expression except for Phlegethon who smiled widely.

I kneeled, after everything I have done, I would finally be able to test my skills in the real world.

Styx stepped forwards, "You have trained for five years, five long years to become the best you can possibly be," she said her eyes shining with pride, "And you have achieved it,"

Acheron took a step forward while Styx stepped back in line, "You have become the epitome of a hero; strong, brave and resourceful. And yet, you are kind, loyal and merciful to ones that deserve it. I am proud of you Percy," she said with a slight smile.

Finally, Lethe stepped out, looking as calm and collected as ever, as well as slightly confused. "With great honor, we… what were we talking about again?"

My mothers groaned as Zoe stifled a giggle.

"We are doing the formal ceremony where we release Percy to complete his duties," explained Styx for what must have been the hundredth time.

"Oh…I forgot how it goes,"

Phlegethon bounded forwards, trying to help, "We bestow the ability to venture among mortals and carry out the wills of the Rivers. Rise Perseus of the Rivers, Primordial of the Heart, stand before us as equals and as our champion," she finished. A faint glow spread from her arms and surrounded me. When the light faded, I knew it was my turn to induct a new ceremony.

I stood and faced Zoe, who in turned kneeled. I barely managed to stop myself from grimacing, I hate formalities.

I spoke the words I was forced to memorize by my mother Lethe, "I have taught you everything I know, every technique and skill I have ever learned or created. You have passed my goals and expectations and are now considered my equal. There is more for you to learn, but I cannot teach you, for you must learn it for yourself. You have spent many years training under me and now I release you from my teachings,"

She stood and looked at me seriously. Then she cracked a smile and I burst out laughing.

"Gods, I hate formalities," I said making my parents laugh.

The gates of Hades' palace opened slowly and menacingly as we walked through. My mothers decided to tell Hades about who I am and why there would be a new domain in the Underworld. I was supposed to be dead, so I was a little cautious on how Hades would react. The Furies glared at us from above the gates but did not attack.

I walked into the palace with confidence; I was a Primordial, who was actually going to attack me? Zoe, not so much, she kept a grip on her hairpin and looked for any possible threats. I didn't blame her, we were in unfamiliar territory.

"Wait, Zoe, lets scare Hades first," I suggested grinning manically. She sent me a scathing look at how I was acting but still pulled her hood over her face. I did the same.

We entered the throne room, and faced Hades who glowered at us next to Persephone's empty throne. We stood in front of him, neither bowing nor showing any sign of respect. Hades finally cracked, "Who are you, and why have you trespassed into my domain?" he bellowed angrily.

I gave a quick glance and nod to Zoe, "Hades, we bring news of the new god and domain that lies within the Underworld. I know that the Fates have told you about it and swore you to secrecy, but for you to know more, you must swear to never reveal the information I give you on the River Styx," said Zoe.

Hades looked thoughtful as he sat back in his throne, "How will I know you are telling the truth?" he finally said after a moment of thinking.

"I swear on the River Styx that everything we say is true," I finally spoke up. Hades turned his gaze to me before sighing, "Fine, I swear to keep the information I learn today a secret and to not tell anybody unless I have permission to do so,"

My aura flared when he said that, but Hades did not seem to notice.

"For starters, you have learned about the new domain, correct?" Hades nodded, "This domain is called the Heart of the Rivers, for it is the collection of the five rivers," Zoe said.

"Which five riv-that's impossible! They are never to meet, it goes against ancient laws!" Hades yelled out, furious that we were lying to him. We both glared at him until he realized that the Styx hadn't claimed our souls.

"Continue," he sighed after a moment of indecision.

"The five rivers created a new domain, which in turn created a new Primordial, now Hades, who was the last person to come in contact with all five rivers at once?" Zoe asked, trying to hide a smile that I saw clearly under her hood.

For a second, Hades expression was confused but it slowly changed into an expression of hope.

"Perseus?" he asked

I only grinned as I slung my hood back

"Hey Uncle"

"Perseus? But how, you died?" sputtered a shell-shocked Hades.

I smirked, "That's the million dollar question Uncle,"

He shrank down into a more manageable form and approached me nervously, "Explain," he demanded.

So I did.

After we managed to convince Hades through swearing on the Styx often and showing off our new powers. To say he was awed would be an understatement.

"Uncle, do you want to see my domain?" I asked while flipping my hood back on. He looked at me curiously but just nodded and followed me out the door.

We trudged across the black soil of the Underworld nearing the Styx. We followed the path of the river up until the ridge that overlooked the Heart.

That's when Hades walked face first into a force field.

I stifled a laugh as I said, "I, Perseus, allow Lord Hades to enter the Heart of the Rivers,"

There as a flash of light and Hades walked through, grumbling about ancient laws and powerful nephews.

He didn't see it but both Zoe and I grinned.

As soon as we crested the hill, Hades' jaw dropped, which was amusing to see on the normally stoic god.

"Welcome Lord Hades, to the Heart of the Rivers!" I say throwing my arms out to the side as my outfit changed to formal Greek attire.

We stood at pier of Charon's ferry, Hades and my mothers were there to send us off.

Hades flipped a drachma into the river and soon we could see the lantern on the ferry.

I turned to my mothers and gave each of them a hug and a kiss on the cheek. They smiled sadly and gave some last minute tips except for Cocytus who was bawling her eyes out.

Hades clapped his hand on my back and disappeared in a swirl of shadows

Charon brought his ferry to the dock and stepped off. "Hello sisters," he said in a happy voice, "It has been too long,"

"It has," Styx replied, "I would like for you to meet our son."

"Son? I thought you were forbidden to have children?" he asked curiously. "Actually," jumped in Phlegethon, "He is a child of all of us and allowed us to be together again," His eyes shifted to me and he took a step towards me, "What is your name nephew?"

"Really Charon? You can't recognize me, I'm hurt," I say mock indignantly as I throw back my hood.

His face was priceless.

"We can explain on the trip, let's get ready first," interceded Zoe. Charon turned back and held the ferry ready as Zoe started to place our bags aboard. As I took a step forwards, someone grabbed my arm. It was Lethe.

"Please be safe son," she whispered, I nodded.

"And if you want to conceal your identity, I suggest creating a pseudonym,"

She saw my confused face and explained, "Like how Chiron was Mr. Brunner, chose a different name to go by,"

"I will, love you mom,"

And I turned away and stepped aboard, watching as their fading figures disappeared into the mist.

"Are you ready?" I asked Zoe.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "As ready as I will ever be," she admitted.

I took a step forward and the earth opened in front of us, showing our first glimpse of the real world in years.

It was beautiful, the stars were out and a cool nighttime breeze blew past us.

"After you my Lady," I said mockingly. She smacked my arm and ran out into the wilderness without a care in the world.

I followed her.

Because I didn't know how long we could afford to be careless.

"We need to pull back!" yelled a hunter as she fired an arrow into the nearing group of monsters. "We can't pull back, we are surrounded!" yelled Thalia as she drew her hunting knives, shifting into a better position.

The hunters had been stalking what had seemed like a pack of hellhounds. It seemed like an easy enough task especially with Artemis away on Olympus.

But of course, it wasn't that easy.

The hellhounds lead them to a trap, a seemingly empty clearing which became obvious that it wasn't when a small army of monsters surrounded them.

The circle of maidens started to close in on itself as the monsters closed in and as more of the hunters started to fall.

Thalia remained in control but not for long as she saw her friend Phoebe get hit by a black arrow. She just managed to not charge into her enemies and end up getting killed. She narrowed her eyes as she ducked under the jab of a dracaena's spear, thrusting her knives deep into the heart of the creature.

Even before it crumbled into dust completely, she turned to deflect a sword that was heading to the hunter next to her.

Suddenly as it started it stopped.

As if by an unspoken command, every monster took a few steps back, looking around nervously.

"What's this," barked a telekhine, "I thought he died?"

"Apparently not, you fool," hissed a dracaena, as her twin snake legs shifted agitatedly, "We must go before he arrives!"

"Too late," a voice echoed throughout the clearing, chilling the bones of everyone that heard it, yet the voice sounded eerily familiar to Thalia. She tried to remember but kept pulling up blanks.

But it became clear to her as soon as he stepped into the clearing. It was obvious who it was, same aura and voice of uncontrollable malice was evident in this being's presence.

The name leapt unbidden to every creature's lips that had met or heard of this being in front of them.

Or actually, only his titles as his name were unknown.

The Destroyer

The Hooded One

He took steps into the clearing, monsters and hunters alike both moving out of his path until he was standing in the middle. His face covered by a dark hood tilted upwards slightly, until only his smug smirk was visible.

"Runa!"

He shouted only one word but it still made every creature jump back in shock.

The hunters and monsters felt another presence enter the clearing but no matter how hard they looked, could not spot a new player on the field.

A white light flared on the opposite side of where the man was standing, causing everyone to look away unless they wished to be blinded.

When the light faded and everyone blinked away the spots in their eyes, gasps could be heard from every mouth.

It was a woman.

But not just any woman.

She was dressed in a pure white hunters uniform, with a white hood over her face. Such a stark contrast to the man who watched with amusement in his eyes. The only similarity was the same amount of power leaking off her presence.

It was as if the entire council of the gods inhabited her body, you just felt the need to beg for forgiveness.

She walked forwards until she was facing the hooded man, ignoring the monsters, either incredibly brave or they were of no concern to her.

Shall we play a game?" taunted the man as he unsheathed his dual swords which I hadn't seen before.

"We shall," spoke the lady in white, smirking playfully, her voice echoing in the same way the Destroyer's did.

And they disappeared.

For a second every living being in that clearing let a sigh of relief escape, believing that they had left.

That was not the case.

Immediately monsters started to fall silently as they became dust. Blurs of movement could be seen, but whoever it was didn't stop moving long enough for anyone to see them.

That was the screams started.

They weren't the screams of the dying but screaming of the living. Monsters ran in every direction trying to escape but as soon as they neared the woods, they dissolved.

Panic filled the air as each and every monster started to realize there was no escape.

The two figures suddenly stilled, one on either side of the huddle of monsters who stared back at them fearfully.

Thalia could finally see the weapons the two carried, the man in black wielded two swords at once with startling skill, one of the blades was gold and the other was clearly silver. He spun them lazily in circles as he stalked up to his prey.

The women on the other hand, wielded only a single blade. She sheathed it over her shoulder but not before Thalia got one glimpse of the blade.

It was bronze.

She pulled a pure white bow from her shoulder and aimed it at the cluster of monsters. As soon as she pulled back the string, a gleaming white arrow that slowly and surely moved to any monster that moved out of line.

The hunters were frozen in shock, two people, if they could even be called human, had single-handedly taken down a small army that had almost overtaken down the hunters.

If they were to turn to them next, the hunters wouldn't stand a chance.

That was the thought that came to a peak in every hunter's mind as soon as Runa fired a single arrow into the midst of the monsters. The arrow glowed a bright white before every monster was disintegrated within seconds.

"Aww, you destroyed our fun," chided the man, while Runa just stuck her tongue at him.

Thalia was awestruck, these two massively powerful beings were acting like children.

But that thought dissipated as soon as the man turned to her, "Show us your camp," he ordered as he brushed off monster dust as if it were nothing at all.

Artemis appeared in her hunter's camp, completely annoyed at questions Poseidon kept asking about his son, but after 5 years, it starts to become annoying to even omnipotent deities.

As she neared the campfire, she noticed all of the hunters clumped together, seemingly terrified. Confused, she headed towards them, the first hunter to see her started to get the rest of their attention. Soon as they all saw her, they all started to whispering, she could only catch bits of their conversations,

"What will she do?"

"Will she win?"

"What should we do?"

"The Destroyer,"

The last sentence almost stopped her in her tracks, he was here in her camp?

She pushed through the crowd and stopped at what she saw.

A menacing man dressed in black talking quietly with a woman dressed in white. She was wearing the same exact outfit of the hunters, only a different color. Her aura was familiar, almost as if she knew this being.

But that was impossible.

"Ah, Artemis, we were just talking about you, we need to talk," his voice did not echo as she remembered it did, but was as deadly as it was before.

They lead the way deep in the forest, finally stopping far enough away from the hunter's camp so they would not be heard.

"What do you want?" Artemis asked, crossing her arms and staring at them defiantly.

"We will tell you what we can, but first you must swear on the Styx that your will never tell any being, alive or dead, who we are, unless you have our permission," said the girl, deathly serious.

Within a second I made my decision, "I swear to your terms,"

"Thank you milady," said the girl as she pulled her hood off.

Artemis clapped her hands to her mouth in shock, her eyes tearing up.

"Zoe?"

"Yes, but I go by Runa now," she replied and Artemis just nodded numbly.

Her companion stepped forward and Artemis turned her attention him reluctantly.

As he pulled his hood down, Artemis didn't recognize him until she saw his crooked grin. His eyes were different and his whole facial structure was different but the grin was the same.

"Perseus?" As he nodded, she was overcome with shock, "You are the Destroyer?"

"Yeah, about that name…" he trailed off, "It doesn't matter, I go by Raze now," he said firmly.

He was completely different from the brave, loyal hero she once knew.

He had died that day, torn to shreds by the ones he had once loved.

And his place was something completely different.

In his place was a killer, a man that would stop at nothing to achieve what he wanted.

And that frightened her.

For in his place was a monster.

A monster of their own making.

"Why did you not show yourself Perseus?" Artemis questioned me. I flinched slightly before replying, "Perseus was a hero and he is no more. Please call me Raze," I said stiffly. She gazed at me questioningly, but Runa was the one to answer, "We needed a name to go by so people don't know our real identities and Raze wanted to have a new life, so he chose a name that went along with a prophecy that foretold the destruction he could cause. He believes it is a fitting name and once you have seen him in battle, you would agree," she explained. "And for you?" the goddess of the hunt questioned.

"Well this boy," she threw a playful glare at Raze, "He wanted me to have a name as well so he didn't feel out of place, and for some reason thought a name beginning with R would be good. I will not lie, I do enjoy the name though,"

"I have so many questions and so little time!" Artemis said exasperatedly, throwing her arms up.

I just smiled and touched her forehead, he eyes rolled back into her head as I imbued her with my memories of our time training.

I looked at her collapsed form on the ground and then glanced at my companion as if nothing were wrong, "Shall we take her back to camp?"

"I believe so," replied Runa,

Then a thought hit me.

"But you're carrying her," I mutter childishly.

"Why? Afraid of one single goddess," she teased me.

"No, more like afraid of her hunters,"

She had to agree to that.

"What did you do to Artemis?" yelled my cousin. I smiled under my hood even if she couldn't see it. "Answer me!" she shouted as the rest of the hunters also drew their bows.

"Relax," Runa said soothingly, "she is fine, she is only experiencing our point of view of the past several years, she will recover soon," she said while handing Artemis' limp thirteen year old form to three hunters. They took her and placed her on a wooded chair.

Thalia turned her attention back to me.

"How do we know we can trust you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Have we given you any reason to doubt us?" I asked innocently.

She just narrowed her eyes at me.

"Hey! We could be the most honorable people you ever met or we could even be people you know or knew in real life," I tried to defend myself.

Obviously, it wasn't working very well with all the glares thrown at me.

Thankfully, Artemis began to stir. Runa looked at me and I gave her a nod.

She knelt at Artemis' side and she held her hand as she slowly awoke, her silver eyes blinking rapidly.

"Is it true?" she asked holding Runa's arm tightly as if she were a phantom.

"Yes milady," Runa spoke softly.

The hunters were completely shell-shocked at the turn of events.

Of course, I couldn't resist.

"Okay hunters," I said, clapping my hands together loudly, "This is a private moment, please go pack your bags, we are leaving,"

"How dare you order the hunt around boy!" hissed a girl I recognized as Phoebe.

"I said please?"

At that point, I would have probably been sent to Tartarus if Artemis hadn't interrupted, "No he is right, pack up camp you are heading to Camp Olympia,"

As the hunters dispersed grudgingly, I turned to the goddess of the moon, "Camp Olympia?"

"After you disappeared, the gods merged the camps, now the campers are a much better fighting force," she said begrudgingly, "As well as all counselors, praetors, and centurions have been made partially immortal,"

I took this information slowly. At my blank expression, Runa came to my side and placed her hand comfortingly on my shoulder.

"Anything else?" I asked, she nodded, "We have to go to Olympus,"

I tensed as did my companion, "I believe you swore an oath not to speak of our true identities," I said stiffly.

"No, not like that," she reassured me, "I can't tell them about who you really are but you can tell my father you are our allies and the threat we face,"

"No, Olympus is too dangerous, we must decline your offer but you will tell your father under a new oath," I replied calmly.

While she looked at me questioningly, Runa jumped in, "We created another oath, one that cannot be broken, one that makes an oath on the Styx like a pinkie promise,"

As understanding dawned on her features, I quickly added, "Don't worry about the wording, we will feed it to you during the meeting,"

We both bowed before I disappeared in a hurricane of Phlegathon and Runa disappeared in a white flare of light,

As Artemis flashed her hunters to camp, she waited only a second before flashing herself to her throne on Olympus.

Flicking her hand to the side, she caused the moon to flare dramatically, announcing a council meeting.

As the gods flashed in, Artemis could detect an obvious difference in the personalities in the gods.

Poseidon was depressed, his eyes a sickly green color. The sea seemed to be dead, not even restless, which worried several of the gods. Even his brothers feared he would fade.

And Aphrodite, she was almost a completely different goddess. She couldn't be called faithful but she had not had an affair with Ares since Percy had left. She said Percy made her change her ideals. She still had demigod children though, just fewer per year. And more and more were starting to take after her eldest daughter Piper, actually trying to survive, training and using their skills for good.

A voice interrupted her from her thoughts, "Daughter? Why have you summoned us?" Her father asked.

She turned to the King of the gods and answered solemnly, "We encountered the man the monsters referred to as the Hooded One today,"

As shouts and speculations filled the Throne Room, only Apollo saw Artemis' expression.

"Artemis? Are you okay?" he asked, uncharacteristically serious, stopping the entire assembly of immortals.

"No, not really, he had a companion with him and they told me of another threat coming. He wishes to remain neutral so far, but if he chooses to entire the war, he will be on our side," This decree was met with deafening silence.

Finally Zeus asked, "How do we know he isn't lying and trying to overthrow our reign?" he asked, paranoia evident in his voice.

"Artemis" a voice echoed through her head. She immediately recognized it as Raze's.

Suddenly she knew what to say.

"I swear upon the Heart of the Rivers,

An oath upon my own immortal soul,

I swear upon the Hero and Lady Fate, divine watchers of the world

If this oath is false or broken, I allow my soul to willingly fade."

"I swear everything I have spoken is the truth,"

The council was shocked by this apparently new oath and right when Athena was going to open her mouth to ask what is was, a presence entered the Throne Room.

"Phoebe Artemis, who have sworn an unbreakable oath, if you wish to proceed, any lies told will sentence you to the void immediately.

"I do," she answered determinedly.

"Then I declare this oath to be complete regarding this matter,"

And the presence left as suddenly as it entered, leaving flabbergasted Olympians behind.

We watched from the trees, perched high between the branches, at the bustling new camp.

Camp Olympia was definitely an improvement on both camps.

It was twice the size as Camp Jupiter and New Rome combined, with a mixture of Greek and Roman designs.

"Annabeth probably built those," I thought sullenly, but wiped that thought from my head.

"Are you sure it's here?" I asked Runa, her white cloak was down, letting me see her volcanic black eyes.

"Yes, I'm the champion of Fate, I'm sure," she said exasperated, throwing me an annoyed glare.

"I know you don't want to be here but-," I cut her off,

"No, I'm fine, I just want to be sure," I answered quickly.

I knew she didn't believe me but she let it go.

Suddenly, I felt a flare of energy, one that I had become familiar with.

"Quick it's happening," I shout as I throw on my hood and see Runa do the same. I leapt off the tree and landed on the ground and ran silently to the Mess Hall as the feeling got stronger.

As people walked by, we ducked behind walls and hid in the shadows as we waited for them to leave.

Soon enough, we reached the Mess Hall, both of us hiding behind a pillar that created a border for the campers to eat.

Fairly quickly, we could hear the shouting.

"How dare you do this to me!" screamed a woman's voice, pain evident in how she sounded.

I stiffened, I know that voice.

"But babe, I'm serious! I didn't cheat on you!" was the also familiar male voice, traces of fear in his voice.

"Piper told me! And the Stolls filmed it! I wish you were dead!"

I finally looked around the pillar to find a large group surrounding two people.

Two people I recognized.

Annabeth stood there with a furious expression on her face, a plain wedding ring in her hand.

"Does this mean anything to you Theseus?"

"Beth, I love you, I really do, I swear on Styx that I didn't cheat on you," he said smirking.

Obviously, he didn't know the consequences of breaking an oath on the Styx.

But Annabeth did, and she believed him because her shoulders slumped and he didn't erupt in flames.

Too bad they didn't know there are other ways to enact justice.

Me

I stepped into the hall, my boots echoing against the hard marble floor, the feeling had subsided to a dull throbbing, signaling a broken oath.

I was going to enjoy this.

"My my my, what a silly little godling," I chuckled, purposely changing my voice to scare my brother.

Annabeth's head whipped around to see who had spoken. Sadly, her eyes were met with my hooded face.

I stepped forwards, walking through the demigods and legacies, recognizing a few but I ignored them.

They parted for me like the Red Sea.

"Who are you?" squeaked out Theseus, obviously intimidated by the way I carried myself and Zoe who fingered her bow as she walked in behind me.

I could feel his fear.

And I relished in it.

He ruined my old life, taken away my friends and purpose in life.

My turn

"Didn't they tell you lying is bad Poseidon spawn?" I said mainly directing this at Annabeth.

Sure enough, she connected the dots and her face turned red.

As she raised her hand to hit him, I melted my body into water from the Cocytus and formed myself between Annabeth's punch and Theseus' face. Blocking her fist with my hand, I clicked my tongue mockingly. "Really Annabeth, I thought you knew better, it is not your job to ensure justice,"

I saw her expression change from angry, to scared within seconds. She knew what I meant.

"It's mine," I say, pushing her away and grabbing my brother's throat lifting him in the air. The other campers were too shocked or afraid to help him. He did, of course, break a sacred oath and is getting what he deserves.

Faintly, I could hear Runa's faint laughter in the background and smirked. She was enjoying this.

As was I.

"You have broken an oath on the Styx, how do you plead?" I asked him, enjoying his gasps of air.

"No-not guilty," he stammered, sobs racking his body.

"Really? I must be delusional then, what do you think Runa?" reverting to my normal voice, amusement clear in my voice.

"Fate does not lie," she replied mysteriously, confusing everyone but us.

"Well then Theseus, it seems like you are guilty and I get to have fun, what do you say?" I snarl in his face, already dragging him to a stone table. Flipping him around, he crashed heavily into the hard surface. Groaning, he tried to escape but I held him still.

Touching him, I turned all of the water in his body to Phlegathon water.

He screamed as he felt the effects, burning him throughout while also healing him.

The result was perpetual agony as he spasmed on the table, crying, begging for help.

His veins started to shine a fiery red, reflecting the power of the river flowing through his veins.

Some campers had to turn away, pity shining in their eyes.

Yet, they wore an expression of disgust.

Not to me I realized, while they certainly feared me, they were disgusted by my ex-brother's actions.

Annabeth tried to rush forwards to help him, but she was restrained by Runa.

"NO!" she screamed, "You monster!"

That stopped me, Theseus' sobs slowly subsiding as he felt the fire leave his body. Being called a monster, that was a new one.

"Well then, little Annie has hurt my feelings, so I will finish this up,"

Obviously, my brother thought that meant I was letting him go.

He was wrong.

As he tried to limp away, I hit his head with my fist causing him to slump to his knees.

I placed the palm of my hand against his head and my hand flared with a black light.

With one final scream, his body seemed to disintegrate into black water that seeped into the ground. "What did you do to him?" shrieked one of the Aphrodite girls.

"He's not dead if that's what you think,"

There were audible sighs from the girl. Most of the camp came to the same conclusion that I did, this was the girl that Theseus used to cheat on his wife.

"He has faded," and with that, Runa and I swept out of Camp, leaving behind a shocked and awestruck group of campers.

That's the part where I think the story is good. It is quite interesting however in the end like many authors they left is with a cliffhanger. If we get 5 review no 4 you'll see number 9 and so on.

Bye. My Dear Loyal Readers


	2. A Good Story? 9

**This wonderful story belongs MCFO16. A Wonderful unique storie unfortunately again in a cliffhanger. I don't own anything. Also this story may be dissapoting compared to the other story. However his idea is really unique. Also feel free to give requirements for good stories I post. Such as pairing or Gebete or words.**

 **Perseus Son of Earth and Shadow: A Monster Is Born- About 16K**

A cry could be heard coming from somewhere in the center of the Mediterranean sea. It was at first the cry of a woman, then it was the cry of a child. But this was not a normal cry, it was that of a beast. Of a monster. A monster so powerful, it would come to rival Typhon in sheer power. Though he is blessed with near limitless power, the son of Erebus and Gaea would have a hard life, one filled with pain and solitude.

Erebus sat next to his lover and gazed at the bundle in her arms. He pulled back the silk blanket and saw the tuft of black hair on his son's head.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Gaea breathed out, gazing at her son. Despite her feelings toward the Gods on Olympus, she was actually a very caring mother, who loved her children. It was the reason she had her son kill Ouranos, for he had cast their children, the hekatonkheires and elder cyclops, cast into the depths of Tartarus.

"What will you call him?" said Thalassa. She had given Gaea and Erebus sanctuary on her island so they could hide their child from Nyx and Tartarus. She agreed also to raise the child, as hers are grown and believe she had faded.

"Perseus. We will call him Perseus." Erebus said, unfolding one of his wings to wrap around his family. Gaea nodded in agreement, and at the sound of his name, Perseus openned his eyes. They were incredibly. A ring of solid black around the outside of the iris that murged with the grass green that went the rest of the way to his pupil. He just stared at his parents in wonder before he gave a giggle that revealed two small fangs poking out of his gums on both upper and lower jaw. He reached out for his mother and father with his pudgy arms, flexing the small wings on his back that were the same color as his eyes; black feahers with a green feather every so often.

Erebus just reached out a hand to meet his son's own and Perseus grabbed one of his father's fingers in a tight grip.

"Ow! Good gods he's strong already." He pulled his crushed finger back from his innocent looking son and healed it.

"Thalassa," Gaea said, realising his power would begin to draw attention if they didn't have protection. "Can you protect him?" she asked. The primordial of the ocean walked over to Gaea and Erebus.

"I am fading. My power wanes and I will need a successor for my domains. I can give the power to him. He may not be a primordial because he is not a giante or titan like your other children, but more like your last child with Tartarus. A monster. Erebus being the father made his power and form more concealable and focussed, but he cannot be a god of the Seas. He will have my domain under his control and he will be one with the seas as he will be one with the earth and darkness, but ichor will never flow through his vains."

Gaea looked down at her son sadly, depressed that she had sired another monster, to be hunted and feared instead of prayed to and respected.

"Once I fade and my domains pass to him, which I expect to be any minute now, he will be protected. His power will be concealed by the pressence of the sea. But should he ever leave the island I have created for him, his power will be a beacon to gods, monsters, mortals, and demi gods alike. He will become the ultimate prize. The only son of Gaea and Erebus in existence. His head will be a sought after prize." Thalassa ended gravely, the only thing either of the gods to be happy about was he would be safe on the island.

Thalassa's form began to flicker and become unfocussed.

"My time has come." she said, a peaceful expression beginning to cross her face. Then she began chanting in the ancient language of the primordials to pass her domains to Perseus. **(other languages will be represented by italics)**.

 _"I Thalassa, Primordial goddess of the seas, pass my domains and power to Perseus, son of_ _Erebus and Gaea, and willfully and peacefully fade to the Void."_ as she finished, a blue-green light emited from her hands and went into Perseus's chest, causing his entire body to glow with the same light. Him whimpered in fear as the glow got brighter and tried to move to his mother.

When the glow stopped, he looked at his mother, for her to gasp at the change in his eyes. The grass green had changed to a swirling and shifting sea green with the same darkness surrounding the pupil, and a spiked ring of clear blue in the center, like a crown moving from the pupil out.

She also fealt and increase in the power of the infant, and realised her son would now be safe. She looked up to Erebus and smiled, looking into the eyes of her lover addoringly, wiht him returing the look. She shifted her gaze to where Thalassa was standing and began her thank you, only to be met with empty space. She was gone.

Erebus planted one long last kiss to Gaea's forehead then one to his child's head, and dissapeared into the darkness, shadow traveling to his palace where his first love awaited, blissfully unaware of his infidelity.

Gaea just laid on the bed she gave birth on, still tired from the ordeal and nursed her son. She maybe one of the elder Primordial goddesses, but she did not have as many responsibilities as the others. Her domain was simply a state of existence and rarely needed tending. She knew that Tartarus, while not her husband, would still likely kill the child of her and one of his brothers after they already had the giantes together.

She would tend to Perseus as often as she could, but she knew that she could not be there all the time like she wants to.

 ** _Line Break and Time Skip_**

 **2 year later**

 **3rd Person POV**

A young boy, looking to be around 6 years old, was running through a plush island jungle with a long wooden spear in his hand. If you saw him you'd think he was chasing some sort of animal for food, and you'd be right. There was a boar the size of a water buffalo running just a few yards in front of him, and the boy was gaining ground. The only reason he didn't use the 3 foot long pair of wings on his back was because of the thick canopy preventing him from flying.

The boar went under a log and the boy, instead of following, ran up a near by boulder to jump off and onto the boar. He jumped onto the creatures back and stabbed the sharp end of his spear into the boar's skull. He yanked themakeshift weapon out of the boar's skull and and observed his kill. He pulled a rock knife that he made himself and began to skin the boar, then cut off the tusks. He could have used his claws to kill the boar, but he had always tried to pretend he didn't even have them. He never wanted to be a monster, and had always tried everything to be like one of the gods or titans his mother told him about. The ones people didn't hunt for glory. He hauled the bloody mass onto a large leaf to pull back to his home, where his mother should be waiting. He doesn't get to see her ofter, as she only comes once every two months or so.

He made his way through the jungle with the boar's carcus behind him and the pelt and tusks in his knapsack. Once he made it into the cave, he called out for his mother.

"Mother! I'm back!" he yelled into the cave he called home, the one he was born in just two years ago.

"Perseus." she said as she rushed to him, falling to her knees and embracing him in a tight hug he was glad to return. She planted a kiss on his dark black, windswept hair.

"Ohh I missed you so much." she said to him as she placed another kiss on his forehead.

"I missed you too mom. Look, I brought us dinner." he said proudly, gesturing to the boar's body.

"Good lords, if only you could summon food..." she said under her breath as she looked at what her two year old son had done just to eat, even if he was in a six year old body. She guessed it was just the monster in him, the primal instinct to hunt and kill for food, and not the more civil instinct of her other children that would instictually summon food. She just shrugged and sighed, patting her son's head and summoning a fire to to cook the meal. Minus well let him reap the benifits of his work.

 _ **Line Break**_

 **2 years later**

 **Perseus POV (Perseus looks twelve, i.e. he ages 3 years every year)**

I was sitting on my bed reading a book my mother brought a few visits ago. I was reading to pass the time and wait for her return. During each of her visits she would tell me about the world outside and what I was and how to read and write. During her last few visits she would bring me books about how to be a warrior. I was already extremely strong from my nature and my time on the island. She had been teaching me how to use a sword lately and I'd also been practicing with the books on my own.

In one visit though she brought me a book of the gods. From what I'd read, they provide for the world and have children with mortals. The books make them out to be good, but I can see past that. They are cruel. They curse mortals for being better than them, and they knock up mortals and leave them with the trouble of taking care of a child that could attract monsters and kill them both. The only olympians I have any real respect for are Hestia, Poseidon, and Hades. The others are either petty, greedy, lustful, brutish, arrogent, or blinded by their predjudices.

Only Poseidon, Hades, and Hestia seem to do their jobs and take care of their children. Every god has their flaw, except Hestia, but the two brother children of Kronos and Rhea have the most control over their imperfections. Hestia, being the pacifistic and introverted goddess just tends the hearth of Olympus and stays away from all things that may impurify her.

Finally my mother arrived. "Hi mom!" I yelled as I got up to hug her. She hugged me and planted a kiss on my head. When I looked up I saw that she had a forced smile.

"What's wrong mom?" I asked.

"Oh!" she realised I noticed her expression. "Nothing Percy." she said, sounding panicked.

"You know mom, for a primordial goddess, you're a terrible liar." I said to her. She just sighed and looked down.

"Ok Percy, I won't hide anything from you. My children, your brothers the giantes have declared war on Olympus and I have to assist them in the fighting. I don't know how the battle will end, but my children may not be a match for the gods and their children. They are more powerful than my children give credit for. I don't know when I'll see you again." she said sadley.

"What do you mean you don't know? Why can't you come back?" I asked, sounding desperate.

"I have to support my other children. They rushed into a war that they were not fully prepared for and will most definately lose if I don't help them." she said to me, looking depressed.

"I don't have long here, but I wanted to give you this." she said, pulling a long leather package from her back.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It is a sword. One day, you will be able to use it, and when that day comes, I want you to use it wisely. You are my favorite son, and your father and I had intended on giving it to you when you came of age, but now I may not have the chance." she said, placing the weapon in my hands. It was heavy, but my years here made me strong enough to hold it. I pulled back the leather wrappings to reveal a four foot scabard with a beautifully intricate handle and cross guard at the top. The scabard was made of the blackest wood I'd ever seen and had silver vines running up to the hilt in a spiraling fashion. The hilt was big enough for two hands, and it was black like the sheath and was grooved to fit fingers. Along the ridges of the finger grooves was a thin line of pure gold, and on the valleys where the fingers would go was a vein of pure silver. There was a blood red jewel on the pommel that oozed a red and black mist, and eminated darkness and despair. The cross guard was gold with silver trimmings, and was flat where the would meet the handle and spiraled the rest of the way out from the center to end with two spikes going up and down **(the end of the crossguard is like barbed wire fence where it spirals and ends with two points, but the spiral is one piece of metal and not two twisted together)**. On the flat part the word " _Darkspire"_ was written in greek.

I grabbed the handle to see it was still a little big for me, but the sword seemed to humb at the touch of its master. I pulled the blade out of the sheath to reveal the four foot blade in all its glory. It was perfectly balanced and beautifully made. It was celestial bronnze on one side and stygian iron on the other. It was leaf shaped and so sharp, it made razors look about as dull as the stone it was sharpend on. The sword felt powerful in my grasp.

"This is probably the most deadly weapon in existence. The only contendor would be Kronos's syth or and of the primordial weapons, but I was able to pull some favors. This blade is the combination of my brothers and nephews domains. None of them knew I was making a weapon, but they gave me the supplies none the less. The jewel on the pommel was from Tartarus from his own thrown and will make anyone see their worst fears if they touch it or attempt to wield the blade. Even Phobos and Deimos would cower. The handle is stygian iron from your father, lunar silver from Selene, and Cronisian gold from Cronus, my brother. When wielding the blade your enemies will move slower because you will be slowing time around you. The same gold and silver are in the cross guard. The blade is a combination of stygian iron and celestial bronze. You will be able to collect the souls of your enemies in this blade, lest they learn they never should've attacked my son." she said, the last part mostly to herself.

"Why did you make me such a powerful blade, I can take care of myself." I said indignantly, now afraid I ccould hurt someone seriously and never be able to take it back.

"I just want you to be safe." she said getting teary eyed and hugging me.

"But I thought I was safe on the island." I said.

"You are, but as your power grow and you get older. Eventually your power will not be able to be disguised by the island and people and demigods will flock here because you are here. You are not a god, but a monster. And people will hunt you for glory. With this blade, no one can hurt you while I'm gone. I have to go now, but know that will always love you." she said, hugging me as if she would never get another chance to. Little did I know that she wouldn't.

 **Mount Olympus, Greece, 2000 BC**

 **3rd Person POV**

The torches of Mount Olympus blazed in the night, as a lone figure made her way down the near empty streets to the throne room. She didn't usually leave the throne room, but even if it was the winter solstice, her lack of presence would not be noted by the other Olympians. She finally made her way to the throne room where the other gods of Olympus were located, even her younger brother Hades. She snuck past the minor gods and made her way to the Hearth, where she continued her usual job of stoking the fire and keeping the council as calm as she could. Her youngest brother Zeus was being berated with insults and complaints by Hera about some new demigod of his or something, while the other Olympians were either not paying attention or arguing amongst themselves. Aphrodite was arguing with Artemis about being a prude and telling her she should break her vow while Artemis called her a slut. Athena and Poseidon were shooting insults back and forth about some misdeed one has done to the other. Apollo and Hermes were whispering and gesturing to the other gods, snickering every so often. Ares just sat in his chair and sharpened a sword, while Hades polished his symbol of power, but had a troubled look on his face.

The eldest son of Kronos roughly put his Helm on the arm of his throne, and spoke up at the council.

"Zeus! Are we going to argue like petty mortals all night or are we going to actually come to a decision on how to fix these problems!?" he yelled at Zeus and the council. They looked at him with baffled expressions on their faces and then some anger as they became red faced at his words.

"And what exactly do you need to say _brother._ " Zeus said condescendingly. Hestia couldn't help but notice how her brother's position of power has affected him so much over the years. The once just and powerful king was now a jealous and petty ruler, consumed by power and paranoia.

"There is something in the ocean. I'm sure Poseidon has felt it too, but regardless there is something out there that has been killing hundreds of mortals unlucky enough to find it or seek it out. Only a few have ever escaped and that is because they never actually went on the island." Hades said. Something seemed to click in Poseidon's eyes as he remembered why he was at the council, but Athena's constant barrage of insults and teases distracted him.

"How do you know of this?" Poseidon questioned him.

"Hundreds upon hundreds of souls have been entering my domain for the last few hundred years. All with similar injuries and with similar tales of the _thing_ that killed them." Hades said.

"Yes, I have been sensing a throb of energy in the ocean, but I never thought it was anything important. It had the scent of an average sea monster or maybe bigger." Poseidon said.

"What have the dead been telling you about this creature?" Athena questioned from across the throne room. The eyes of the minor gods and Olympians were officially trained on the discussion now, the possibility of a new monster or threat garnering their attention.

"They have told me it looked like a normal human at first, but as they got closer, they noticed it had wings and when it saw them, it changed." The Olympians were now leaning forward in their thrones as Hades told of the monster. Artemis was especially attentive at the prospect of a new monster to hunt and add to her collection.

"What did it change to?" Athena asked, conjuring a notepad and quill pen to draw what Hades described.

"They said that it grew claws and obsidian scales and fangs before it breathed black hell fire and killed them with a sword. I know that hellfire is part of my domain but this is no son or creation of mine." Hades said as Athena scribbled on her pad and parchment.

"What should we do about it?" Apollo said from his throne, finally paying attention to the meeting.

"Father, let me hunt it." Artemis said from her throne.

"No, we do not know what sort of power this creature possesses. We will send a demigod on a quest for this monster." Zeus said. Artemis gained a look of outrage on her face at her father's denial of her request.

"But father I-" Artemis began.

"No Artemis. Let one of our children deal with this. Apollo, consult your oracle." Zeus said. Apollo gave a quick nod a sunk back into his throne and closed his eyes to focus. The gods and goddesses in the room waited with baited breath as the sun god focused. After a few minutes of waiting, some of the goddesses were becoming impatient.

"Apollo, what is taking you so long!?" Artemis barked at her brother, still angry at her father's lack of faith in her skills.

"I don't know," he managed to say through grated teeth "the oracle won't cooperate. I can feel something blocking me."

The gods in the room began to get nervous that the oracle might have been captured. Zeus quickly thought of a solution.

"Apollo, go to Delphi and bring your oracle here." Zeus said. Apollo unsurely nodded but flashed out none the less.

Apollo flashed back with a beautiful girl next to him, who he quickly caught as she vomited on the floor due to the disorientation of flashing. Once she got herself back in order and Apollo wiped her mouth and made the vomit disappear from the floor, the girl stood up and attempted to be dignified in front of every god and goddess on Olympus as they stared at her. She looked at the twelve main thrones and quickly dropped into a bow.

"My lords, you require my assistance?" she said from her bow. Zeus had a satisfied look on his face at the show of loyalty.

"Yes. We need a prophecy for the creature in the ocean." Zeus said.

"If it is a prophecy you wish for, then the hero who is destined for the prophecy must ask for it, and the right question must be asked." the oracle said.

"What do you mean?" Zeus said angrily. The oracle shifted in her feet but stayed looking at the floor.

"Well my lord, the oracle works in mysterious ways and-" she began before Zeus interrupted her.

"If I wanted a lesson on the workings of the oracle I would have asked Apollo. Now, what is the monster in the ocean, and how do we destroy it!?" Zeus demanded. This seemed to trigger something in the oracle as she suddenly stood from her kneeling position and became as stiff as a board. Her eyes began to glow green and mist poured from her mouth. She took a deep breath in and in a voice that sounded like there were three of her speaking in synch, she gave a prophecy.

" _Son of Earth and Shadow_

 _Mortals cannot defeat_

 _Nor the gods on high,_

 _if Olympus sends its fleet_

 _Son of Zeus, denied the trial_

 _Orders of heaven, destined to defile_

 _Daughter of Zeus, proud in her ways_

 _If she goes, brings the end of days_

 _Rage uncontrolled, unrestrained_

 _Appease the beast, and threats end_

 _A hopeless heart only one can mend"_

She finished the prophecy and went limp, beginning to fall to the ground before Apollo caught her.

The gods looked around at each other, quickly becoming pale and a bit clammy for the children of Zeus as they let the words of the prophecy sink in. Zeus looked suspiciously at his daughters that were gathered in the throne room, his paranoia getting the best of him as he thought one might be in league with the enemies of the gods. They children of Zeus also looked at their siblings for signs of deceit, most looking to Athena due to her fatal flaw being pride. Athena noticed the stares she was getting and with a hard and terrifying glare to any brave enough to meet her gaze she silently dared anyone to accuse her of treachery.

Apollo broke the silence that had swallowed the room as his oracle began to awaken. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around in a daze. She noticed the gods in the room and tried to go back to her subservient position but was too weak still to do so. Apollo looked at her strangely at what she would say next.

"What is it you require of me my lords." she said, trying to sound strong but still failing at it. The gods looked at her confused.

"What do you mean? Do you not remember the prophecy you delivered?" Athena asked. She looked at the wisdom goddess confused, before she grabbed her head and moaned in pain. Apollo grabbed her by the shoulders steadied her to the floor.

"Take her to your temple Apollo and make sure she is alright." Zeus said. Apollo quickly nodded and bowed before flashing out of the room with his oracle.

"What does this prophecy mean?" Poseidon asked the room of gods.

"Well," Athena began "the first line says the monster is the spawn of Earth, probably meaning Gaea and shadow. Who are the gods or spirits of shadow?" Athena asked, mostly to herself.

"Well like I said, it isn't me. Poseidon is the only one of us I know of to have had an offspring with Gaea." Hades said, causing Poseidon to shift in his throne but keep a straight face.

"What are the other shadow and darkness gods? All I can think of are Nyx and her children." Hermes said.

"What about her husband Erebus? Is he not the primordial of darkness _and_ shadow?" Artemis said. Athena gained a look of deep thought on her face at her sister's words as if she was running through every possibility of who "Shadow" could be. The look on her face changed and they could tell she had come to a conclusion.

"That has to be it. It seems the monster we are dealing with is the offspring of two of the original primordial gods to exist." Athena said to the assembly of gods. Zeus gained an even stronger look of paranoia on his face at the thought of a monster that was the child of two primordial gods who had never had children together before. The most notable monster child of two primordial being Typhon himself.

"Well we need to destroy it! It poses too great of a threat to the security of our rule!" Zeus said to the council in his usual attitude of "kill it or make it a slave".

"Weren't you listening _bolt breath_ , the prophecy specifically said if we send an army it will fail. The only one of us here that has any real chance to fight it from what we know so far is Poseidon, being that this creature resides on an _island._ " Hades said to his younger brother. Zeus became red faced in anger as his hand made its way for the master bolt on the side of his throne. This action did not go unnoticed by Hades as he also reached for his symbol of power. They stopped in their actions when Athena yelled at them the same time as Poseidon grabbed his Trident in case he had to break up a fight between his brothers.

"Stop this! This gets us nowhere while whatever may be in the sea gains strength!" Athena chastised her father and uncle. Zeus seemed to hear something in her words that made him pause for a moment then gain another look of anger, this time directed to his other brother.

"Yes daughter, the monster in the _sea_. I wonder dear brother, why you were never able to detect this entity when it was in the middle of your domain for Chaos knows how long." Zeus said mockingly and accusingly at his brother.

"If you are trying to say something brother, you'd best spit it out before somebody gets the wrong idea." Poseidon said dangerously as his grip tightened on his trident which he hadn't put down from when Hades and Zeus had begun to argue. Eager at the prospect to haggle her least favorite uncle and Olympian, Athena joined her father.

"Yes uncle, how is it that you never noticed a powerful monster in your ocean?" she asked with her voice laced with sarcasm as the other gods watched the exchange with interest, all but one. Hestia just continued to stoke the flames and embers in the hearth as her younger brothers and niece bickered with one another, causing the gods in the room to forget the problem at hand. She looked over at Ares who had stopped sharpening a large bronze long sword in favor of watching the conflict unfold in front of him, relishing in the fighting.

She looked over at Artemis, the goddess still in her twelve year old form as she looked away from the fighting and put her hand under her chin to think. She suddenly looked up with an angry expression on her face and glared at the arguing gods.

"Enough!" she yelled, causing them to stop and all eyes to be drawn to her. "This will get us nowhere. It still amazes me that we were able to defeat the Giants and Gaea when we can barely continue talking about a prophecy that may very well decide the fate of Olympus and the lives of thousands of mortals! Now, what was the next line of the prophecy." She said, sitting back in her throne red faced and breathing hard from frustrated anger. The offending immortals looked down in shame and embarrassment, especially Athena considering she had told her uncle and father the same thing not five minutes earlier.

"Fine, we will continue." Athena said stiffly, still calming herself down from the shouting match she had with Poseidon and the embarrassment of being called out in front of all of Olympus. "The next line of the prophecy is-". Just then Apollo flashed back in to the chamber with a grin on his face and completely unaware of what has been happening for the last ten minutes.

"What I miss?" he said with a smile as he made his way to his throne. It wasn't a second after he sat down that a silver arrow lodged itself between his legs an inch from his crotch and another lodged itself in the head rest on the seat, clipping Apollo's ear. He yelped in pain and clutched the side of his head that was now leaking a steady river of golden liquid.

"What the Hades was that for?!" he yelled at his sister.

"For being an immature ass and interrupting Athena. Now, please continue." She said to Apollo then Athena. She gave a quick nod of thanks to her sister and went to continue speaking.

"As I was saying, the next line of the prophecy is "The son of Zeus denied the trial". I can't think of any of Zeus's children that have been denied anything in the past in the form of a trial." Athena said.

"Maybe it means that a son of Zeus has committed a crime that appears to be obvious, so we reject hi plea for a fair trial?" Apollo suggested, trying to be involved and at the same time avoid any more abuse from his sister.

"We will discuss that line later. Next?" Zeus said, trying to get of the topic of his most likely illegitimate child's involvement in the next major prophecy.

"The next line is "Orders of heaven, destined to be defiled". It would seem that whichever of your sons this pertains to, is going to go against your orders and attempt this trial, or a person goes against the order of heaven to not give this person a trial and gives him one. It will just have to pass for us to understand." Athena said. "The next line is "Daughter of Zeus, proud in her ways". I think this line may pertain to me, but it will also have to come to pass for us to see for sure. The next line is "If she goes, brings with her the end of days". This could either mean that the daughter of Zeus who goes causes the end of days for Olympus or she brings the end of days with her to the monster and is able to destroy it." Athena said, giving her opinion before anyone else could add their interpretation in so they could continue to the next line.

"The next line of the prophecy is "Rage uncontrolled, unrestrained". I think this means that somebody or the monster is being held back by something or someone and they are let go to cause carnage." Athena said.

"What if it means that our actions or the actions of the mortals cause the "rage" to become uncontrolled?" Hermes added in.

"Or the lack of action." Hera said.

"We will just have to see sister. What is the next line?" Poseidon asked.

"The next line is "Appease the beast, and threats end". I think this is telling us to not war with the monster but do what we can to have it as an ally." Athena said.

"I agree with Athena. The prophecy has specifically told us not to attack, and now to make good with it. Let us just pray that no one is stupid enough to go and try to fight the thing. Ares…" Hades said as he looked at Artemis, silently telling her not to go and hunt the creature at the same time as Ares.

"Oh come on! We are gods, nothing can resist our power!" Ares boasted arrogantly.

"Silence Ares! Now is not the time for your infinite ego to get in the way." Artemis chastised her half- brother. Ares made to argue but a glare from his fierce half-sister stopped the words in his throat. He sat back in his throne and suddenly became extremely interested in the large bronze sword that he felt was not shiny enough as he spat on the blade and started to polish.

"The last line of the prophecy, is "A hopeless heart, only one can mend".' Athena said. This line garnered Hestia's attention as she heard hopeless. She listened to Athena explain what she thought about the last line of the prophecy along with the other gods discuss what they thought it might mean. None of them even came close. The only one in the room who knew what the last line might even mean was the only one who was silent for every meeting, and was always there. Even if they didn't notice her.

Hestia thought on what the last line meant and knew from then on that no matter what the gods might try to do to dissect it and stop it, this prophecy would come true. And she was a part of it.

 **Heracles POV**

I made my way to the coast, finally calming down enough to form a coherent thought. I realized as I made my way down to the ocean that I would need a boat, preferably a large one so that I could survive anything my uncle would surely send at me. I was a son of Zeus about to traverse the Mediterranean. I would need a large boat for the storm and that would require a crew. I could of coarse hire a group of mercenaries to be the crew. It didn't just take the spawns of Poseidon to sale. Any simple minded man could do it. The only problem would be paying for the boat... Ah screw paying for the boat, the mercenaries will be cost enough. I'll just have to persuade a captain to let me _borrow_ his ship.

I made my way to the docks and saw all the wooden ships. They were mostly small one or two man fishing boats, but then I saw a large 50 foot fishing boat that was offloading their fish and other catches. I walked up to the boat and saw what looked like the captain on the dock talking to a shop owner about their catch. I walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and looked at my chest before his eyes widened at my considerable height and size and he looked up.

"I require the use of your ship and crew." I said. I wasn't in the mood to be polite about it.

"Uhh, I'm sorry, but no. We just got back and my men need to rest for our next trip in a few days." He said and went to turn his back on me.

"You. Go into your shop, and don't come out until I say." I said forcefully to the shop keeper, using the natural commanding tone that I inherited from my father. He took one look at me and dashed into the shop. The man looked at me with fear in his eyes as I looked down at him.

"Let's go for a walk." I said as I put my arm around his much smaller shoulders and directed him to the side of his ship. "What I want from you, is use of your boat. I will return it to you when my task is complete." I said to him, stretching the truth about returning it. I'd probably forget who this old fool was by the time I returned.

"I'm sorry, but I told you no." he said with his voice quivering slightly. I didn't have the patience for this. My hand shot out and wrapped around his throat. I hoisted him in the air with my one arms and walked forward a few feet, holding him against the side of the boat and over the murky water.

"Look, I'm not in the mood for this. I need your boat, and you need the bones in your hands to keep fishing." I said, using my free hand to apply pressure to the hand that was gripping my arm. His faced screwed up in pain as it steadily turned a dark shade of red.

"Now, are you going to let me use your boat, or am I going to have to break the all the bones in your hand?" I said threateningly. He nodded his head as much as he could as his face turned from red to purple. I dropped him and he fell into the water. When he resurfaced he was gasping for breath and barley able to get out a word.

"Tell your crew to vacate the boat in the next two days, or you and your crew will suffer the wrath of the Son of Zeus." I growled as he looked up pitifully from the water. Now I had to find a group of men stupid enough to not question me but smart enough to man a ship. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a large grey owl land on top of the shop the fisherman was at before I had my _talk_ with him. I knew it had to be Athena.

 **Athena POV, near the coast of Greece lining the Mediterranean**

After Father dismissed the meeting to go talk with old fish breath, I headed to catch Heracles before he could reach the coast so I could tell him the Olympian's decision. I turned into and owl and flew out of the sky and looked for my half-brother. About 30 minutes later I saw him talking with an older looking man for use of his boat. The man was shaking his head and he turned his back on Heracles. Heracles said something to the shop owner and grabbed the man around the shoulders and steered him to the side of the boat where he began talking. I landed on top of the shop and watched from my perch, manipulating the mist so I appeared the size of a normal owl and not the much larger one I usually am. I saw as they went from talking to my half-brother holding the old fisherman by his throat against the boat. The brutish demigod, it's a wonder how we are of the same father. A few seconds later after Heracles had said what he wanted to say to the man and the man nodded profusely, he was dropped into the water. Heracles said something and turned to see me looking at him. I allowed the mist to make me larger, and a look of understanding passed over his face.

He walked to the shop and knocked on the door. The shop keeper came out from behind the door and looked at Heracles in fear.

"Is there something you require sir?" the man asked. Heracles gave a stiff nod and pointed at the room that the man had just came out of.

"I need to use that room for a moment." he said. The shop owner got out of his way and Heracles walked in and I flew behind. The door closed behind me from a gust of wind and I landed on the floor, changing back into my human form. I stood up and looked at my brother's heavily muscled and scared back.

"What do you want, dear sister?" he asked. Oh the nerve of this half-blood to not call me by the titles I've earned as the goddess of wisdom. I resisted from destroying him though as per orders of the council.

"The council has asked me to inform you of the quest you are on. You will be the first son of Zeus to go to this monster's island, so you will be representing Olympus as a sort of Ambassador as you are the son of the King. I have been told to tell you that you are to try to establish contact with the monster and you are to not fight it unless it is in self-defense, so Olympus can stay on good terms with it. Too many quests have been undertaken by foolish demigods and mortals that have resulted in their deaths. If you succeed in getting this monster to be submissive to Olympus, you will surely be made a god." I said distastefully. I really did not want this male to become immortal, but my father was determined to have another immortal son on Olympus.

 **Heracles POV**

I thought about my sister's words, and they infuriated me. First they deny me my glory and then they tell me not to claim it and instead make peace with a stupid monster? Well, I have other plans in mind.

"Alright sister, but the glory will be mine. If it even moves at me, I will beat it into servitude of Olympus." I said. I had no intention of being an ambassador. I knew what I would do instead. I will go to the island and kill the monster, but not before forcing it to swear loyalty to Olympus then ripping its head from its body and sending it to Tartarus. Either way, the Olympian's or mine, I become a god and will go down as the greatest hero of all time.

She quickly nodded her head and flashed out of the room. Time to recruit.

 _ **Time Skip 17 Days**_

We were finally able to reach what is probably the island. After weathering through the rough storms my uncle sent at us and passing over a few empty islands, we were finally here. It was hard not to realize that this was likely the island of legend that has garnered so much infamy for the 100% mortality rate if you step on its white shores. Over the course of the last 15 days I had been praying and talking with my father and he told me all the gods know about the monster and the island, and that if I was to make peace with the monster, he would make me a god. I didn't even bother to tell him my real plans of what I was going to do. I even thought of a way to work the people I brought with me into the plan.

If this monster is more formidable than expected, some expendable lives could be used to distract the beast while I dealt the finishing blow. That way I could take my money back. Win-win for me.

I jumped off the side of the boat that had run into the white sandy shore of the island. It really was beautiful. The beaches were the whitest I'd ever seen and it would have been a perfect undisturbed horizon if not for the multitude of other ships that were also on the beach. Many were only the remainders of ships, charred frameworks with black stains in the pure white sand. Littered in the sand around some of the boats were melted and bent weapons and pieces of armor, some still clutched in the grasp of blackened skeleton hands. It seems that this creature is a fire breather. Nothing I haven't dealt with before.

The 10 men I hired jumped off the boat behind me with some ropes that they used to hook the boat into the more dense sand with. I began walking to the thick green jungle with the other men behind me. We broke the edge of the jungle and were met with a completely different sight than the beach. It was green with some reds and yellows splashed in here and there, but there was not a speck of sand on the ground and we could no longer hear the sea.

We walked through the jungle for about an hour, weapons drawn and at the ready for whatever may be in the dense foliage, when there was a loud rustling in the bushes to the right of us. Something was coming our way fast. I got my club ready and had my other hand near to the hilt of my sword that I decided to keep in sword form permanently, it looks better. Out of the foliage burst a large boar. Not as large as the one I killed for my labors, but large enough to gouge a man. And it did. Moving too fast for the non-demigods to properly react, its tusk buried itself in the stomach of one of my men and it flipped face first into the ground, the man underneath it. It squealed and kicked as the man cried out in pain and the others stared at the sight in shock. They seemed to all come to the same conclusion at the same time as they slashed and stabbed at the boar that was disemboweling their friend and comrade.

With a wide swing of my club and deadly accuracy, I bludgeoned the animal and it stopped kicking. The man lay underneath the mass of fur and muscle, still screaming but blood was now pooling in his mouth and falling from it as he yelled and moaned. The others rushed to his side and pushed the boar off as I watched on. They pulled cloth out of a sack one of them had and tried to help him.

"You're gonna be okay, you got that? You're gonna make it." One was saying as the others nodded in agreement and continued to try to help him. I didn't have time for this and his moans were getting annoying.

"He isn't going to survive this. Believe me, I've seen men die from less." I said. The one who had been comforting the dying man looked up at me with anger in his eyes.

"Shut up! The only reason we are here is because you payed us more than we've ever seen! He'll make it!" he yelled at me. The disrespectful little runt dared to insult the son of Zeus.

"You are here because I hired you and I am the son of the King of Olympus. You would do well to remember that." I said to him. The moans of the man were becoming quieter but more sickening as blood pooled in his throat and all that came out was a gurgle. "We need to keep moving. My prize awaits me." I said and kept walking as he took his last breath. The eight that weren't back talking me followed while the ninth said a prayer Hades and got up to follow the rest of us.

Another hour later we breached the edge of the jungle and found ourselves on rocky grey ground that lead up to the mountain that was in the center of the island. There was red fire and smoke spewing from the top of the mountain and streams of lava making their way down the side of the mountain now identified as volcano. There was a pathway defined by roughly made steps carved into the ground that lead up the side of the mountain.

"This way. Follow the path and mind the lava." I said, gesturing to the path and streams of liquid rock that were flowing down the mountain side. I started at a quick pace, the anxiety of finding my prize and sealing my spot in history making me excited. We walked along the mountain side as the path got steeper and the fog from the cold ocean mixed with the ash cloud, making us nearly blind.

We made our way into a clearing where the fog was passing around that led to a cave, but a boulder fell on the entrance to the clearing behind us and sealed us in. The boulder was so huge that doubt creeped into my heart as to if I could even lift it. The fog then started slowly inching its way into the middle of the clearing where we had formed a circle, our backs were facing each other and our weapons were drawn.

Like Thanatos himself stalking a soul, the fog slowly creeped toward us until it had completely enveloped us and we couldn't see more than a few feet in front of our faces. We shuffled our feet and shifted the grips on our weapons as the fear began to creep into our hearts. A faint orange glow started to make its way through the fog and ash, the lava must have made its way this far down the mountain. At least I had some sort of bearing as to which way I was facing in relation to the mountain.

Out of the fog, a low and guttural growl started that made the snarling of Lychon's pack sound like the whimpering of a small pup. I emanated from all around us as it echoed all around the clearing and off the mountain side. It started to get louder and I prepared my weapons, until it sounded like it was right behind me. Before I could turn my head to see what was there though, a blast of searing wind blew me forward and away from the others. I landed in a heap face first on the rough ground as I steamed in the cold fog, the wind having burned me so much. All I could hear were the terrified and pain filled screams of the men I hired as I stood up with my club in hand and Riptide in the other.

I could hear the disgusting squelch of ripping flesh and the clang of weapons as they fell to the ground as the screams died down. The noise stopped and everything was silent. The fog then suddenly and rapidly cleared and I could see what work the creature made of the men I hired. There were several large blood stains on the ground and weapons scattered around them, but no bodies. I looked all around me, but there was no sign of them or the monster.

"Enough with the fog and tricks! Come face me and fight!" I yelled into the clearing, my voice bouncing off the stone walls and the side of the mountain. A low and evil laugh resounded through the clearing that sent chills through me.

" _As you wish, son of Zeus."_

 ** _Now_**

 **Perseus POV**

I got up from my crouched position in the darkness of my cave and started to walk into the light. I allowed my claws and wings to fully extend, casting an evil looking shadow over my face that allowed my glowing acid green and azure eyes to shine through. I could see the fear that I was instilling into the pathetic half-blood and I relished in it. No spawn of Olympus deserved any might or power, they deserved only the trembling terror that was so easy for me to create in their hearts. My claws extended at the same time as my teeth as I walked menacingly toward him, my sword still at my side.

"Why are you on my island Zeus spawn!?" I barked at him, though I knew he was probably here for the same reasons as the others. Like mother said; my defeat would become the ultimate glory, my head the ultimate prize. He shifted nervously at my question but none the less stood his ground.

"I am here to gain your allegiance to Olympus and destroy you." he stated arrogantly, brandishing his two weapons. The damned Olympians had finally decided to try to force me into their ranks like some sort of slave... The weapon in his left hand caught my attention as its gleaming bronze surface reflected the glow of the lava onto my face. It was around three feet long and leaf shaped, much like my own sword, and was emanating the energy of the sea. I could see the word _Anaklusmos_ written into the side. Riptide. The name of the sword confirmed my suspicions as to the nature of the weapon. What the nature of this sword also told me, was that it did not belong in the hands of a son of the _sky._ As I stalked closer, I could feel the energy of the sword reaching out to me, as if it was so desperate to be released of the arrogant Zeus spawn that it was attracted to the closest creature with the power of the sea in it; me.

I was now ten feet away from the demigod, transfixed by the weapon that was so different from any that had come to my island before. Not even _Darkspire_ had the power of the sea in it.

"Halt and swear loyalty to Olympus before I beat the oath out of you!" he yelled, leveling his sword at me and the club raised behind his head. His shouting reminded me of the reason I was in the clearing in the first place. I was here to kill a son of Zeus, but I think I have a better idea. One that will the Olympians will just _love_ when they see it.

 **Hermes POV**

We were all sitting in the throne room again. Father had made us swear not to punish Heracles for his actions at the docks that Athena informed us about a few weeks ago. After a plethora of storms courtesy of Poseidon, Heracles had finally managed to reach the island, and had passed from our sight. Not even Poseidon could feel his presence anymore. The island reminded me of Ogygia but with a stronger enchantment to distort its whereabouts. Much stronger. It was wearing off though so that only mortals and demigods could find the island on their own or go onto its shores. The only reason we were able to know where it was even a little was because we tracked Heracles.

"Well, what now? It's a bit pointless to just sit here and wait for Heracles to get off the island." I said to the other Olympians. A few nodded in agreement, and Zeus looked at me directly.

"Good point Hermes, patrol the island and wait for Heracles to come off. When he does, bring him here so we can discuss the terms of his godhood and what happened on the island." He said. Me and my big mouth... I just had to go and get myself stuck on babysitting duty for my youngest (known) sibling. In the throne next to me, Apollo was snickering at my misfortune. I quickly turned my Caduceus into laser mode and burned a hole in his toga. He yelped in pain and looked at me with a sour expression on his face.

"Meeting dismissed." Zeus said and the gods flashed out to their duties, me to go and fly around an island that I couldn't even see. I just hope he doesn't take too much time. I do have a lot of mail to deliver. I flashed down to the last place we were able to track Heracles and I started just flying over the near infinite blue that surrounded the mysterious island. I'm still surprised that father was able to convince the council to make another one of his children a god. I mean, I'm all for having immortal brothers and sisters, but some immortal cousins wouldn't hurt.

 _ **Time skip**_

I was still flying over the ocean, scanning for my half-brother. I was starting to think that maybe my brother had been killed by the monster on the island, after all, demigod sons of Zeus never take this long to negotiate surrenders. You could say they take after their fathers a bit more than their mothers. I was just about to contact father when a ship appeared on the water about 1000 feet away from where I was flying. I flew to it and as I got closer, I recognized it as the ship that Heracles sto- _borrowed._ Got to stick with the king's laws. No bad mouthing Heracles's name. I flew closer and immediately noticed the lack of movement on the deck. Surely there would be people still on deck to man the sails and prepare for the trip back to land? There wasn't even a person manning the captain's wheel. Something was wrong.

I flew down to the deck, and was met with a gruesome sight that I doubt I will ever forget. The deck was decorated with entrails that probably belonged to the men Heracles hired for the trip. The smell was putrid as I looked around me at the blood stains and piles of guts and scattered limbs. On the main mast of the boat, strung up with his arms above his head, was the bloody and bruised form of Heracles himself.

 **Perseus POV**

I didn't even bother to unsheathe my sword. If I used it on him, I'd probably kill him and that isn't what I had planned. I bared my teeth and got into a fighting position with my claws at the ready, a low and menacing growl escaping my throat.

"Alright, you asked for it." He said before he lunged forward faster than I thought would be possible for him. Even though I underestimated his speed, I was still much faster. I dodged to the right of his downward strike with his club which smashed into the stone ground, creating a crack that spread in the stone a few feet out from the point of impact. He tried to catch me off guard with the sword which he swung horizontally at me, but I merely stepped back and it passed harmlessly in front of me.

"Is this all the mighty son of Zeus has to offer? I expected more from a spawn of the king of the gods!" I taunted him. The taunt served its purpose of infuriating him and causing his strikes to become harder and faster but with less control. He tried to stab me with _Riptide_ , but the strike was sloppy and I easily side stepped. I slashed my claws up his arm that held the sword, creating three long and deep cuts that ran from his wrist to his triceps. He howled in pain and nearly dropped the sword, but kept his grip and wildly swung his club at me. I used the opportunity to create another deep gash this time in his side from the base of his rib cage to his armpit. He yelled in pain again and stepped back in an attempt to gather his wits. It seems that he realized his mistake.

From a small pack on the small of his back he pulled out a flask of what I assumed to be nectar. He drank the godly liquid which healed the two gashes to just long cuts that barley hindered him but would still scar. I decided to use my fists and considerable strength in combination with my claws. I retracted the claws on my right hand and balled it into a fist. I lunged at him this time, not allowing him to go on the offensive and began my assault, hammering his sides and midsection with my fist and clawing his arms as he was barely able to block the majority of my strikes. I placed a right hook right into his left ribs and I could feel the bones crush and break underneath.

He yelled in pain and was able to use my close proximity to his advantage as he hit me on the side with his club. It pushed me a few feet back but I was able to maintain my balance and stay upright. This was the first demigod to be able to land a substantial hit on me. Despite my loathing of his very existence, I had to applaud the half-blood on his skill for having the longest fight with me to date. Even if I wasn't just toying with him. Not that he knew that.

His single success seemed to boost his confidence in the fight as he charged at me again, favoring his right side that wielded the sword. He stabbed and slashed at me, but was having some difficulty due to his injured side holding him back. I wasn't going to let him get any nectar or ambrosia this time either.

He stabbed with the sword and I caught the blade in between my hands, pulling him forward and off balance so I was holding his arm. I looked him up close in the eyes as he was about to swing at me with his club in the other hand, but my aura stopped him. He feebly tried to pull his arm free but I was too strong even for him.

I looked into his eyes to see the real reason he was here, because I honestly think the glory isn't the only reason. I felt myself go into his memories and see the month in bits and pieces, but it was enough to put the whole puzzle together. I saw everything in reverse order. The man who died in my jungle, the storms in the ocean, his meeting with Athena. This is where he was telling the truth. I saw as Athena told him to try to establish piece and only fight me if I fought first, how he planned to kill me anyway. I kept going in his memory. I saw his meeting with Hera at what was probably his home, how she told him of how he was originally going to have to kill me to complete his tasks. So that was why he was at the docks. For some reason though, the memory kept going back. I felt the sword that was under my arm and still in Heracles's grasp begin to hum and vibrate. I saw how he stole the elegant weapon from the Titaness. How he used her. How he broke her heart and ruined her life.

For some reason I could have pinpointed if I really tried, this infuriated me. To see a young and rather beautiful girl be used and beaten by this pig of a man made me enraged. The sword must have wanted me to see how it lost its original owner and was placed in the Zeus spawns possession. I came out of his memories to see a terrified look in his eyes. That usually happens to the people who survive long enough for me to get this close to them. Hell, the only way I can find anything at all about the modern world is to look into the memories of the people that invade my island.

I adjusted my grasp on his arm and with a swift movement, broke it. He screamed in pain as his arm bent in the middle of the forearm, his bone sticking out of his flesh. He dropped the sword and fell back. When the sword hit the ground it changed back into a pin, but I was too focused on the pathetic demigod in front of me to care much. I stalked over to him, rage burning in my eyes. I grabbed his other arm that he pathetically tried to swing at me and broke it at the bicep and the forearm so it looked like some sort of sick zigzag. My inner monster instincts were taking over again. The bloodshed. The _pain._ The _fear._ It felt so good to instill this in a child of the gods. I suppose it is just my nature.

I flipped him onto his front and slashed his back until it was covered with deep gashes that were slowly oozing blood. The smell made my pupils dilate and I went into a near frenzy. I had to restrain myself a bit before I lost control and killed him. After all, I needed him alive for my plan.

I started to punch and stomp his back before I kicked him over and went to work on his front side. I was punching and kicking, trying to turn him into a giant piece of bloody meat, when I stopped myself. Satisfied with my work and attempting to slow my heart, I looked at the "hero" on the ground. His face was swelling and red as well as his chest and arms which were cut and bloody with broken bones underneath. There was something missing though. If I gave him back to the Olympians, they could heal him over time and my work would be in vain. I looked around me and saw a small hairclip on the ground.

Finally calmed down, I walked over to the hairpin and picked it up, mildly aware of the groans and gurgles coming from the pathetic god spawn behind me. I could feel the sea in the hair pin and remembered from Heracles's memories that this was _Riptide_ in its concealed form. A truly special weapon indeed. I squeezed it and the three foot celestial bronze sword expanded out from my closed fist. I gazed at the blade that now looked sharper and gleamed brighter than before when it was in the hands of Heracles. Probably it accepting the sea in me and having a better form as a result. It hummed in my hand as if to signify that it accepted me as its new master. It gave me an idea.

I folded my wings behind me and turned and walked over to Heracles. I kneeled down next to him and gazed at a relatively unscathed spot in the middle of his chest. I grabbed the sword near the tip and pressed it into the sky spawn's chest, and began to carve. He moaned in pain, but was nearly unconscious and could probably feel it in his half-awake state.

When I was done, the name _Zoe Nightshade_ was engraved and underneath was the word _bastard_ , and it was in bigger letters than the name. I grabbed him by his throat and reached into his pack for some healing liquid to wake him up a bit. I got a few crumbs of ambrosia and fed it to him. He woke up slightly and started to moan in pain before I closed his windpipe with my grip.

"I have a message for the Olympians that I want delivered. _Leave. Me. Alone."_ I said in my most menacing voice that caused him to give as much of a nod as he could before I hit his head against the stone floor and knocked him out.

I let him lie there for a while so that the injuries would leave him just inches from Thanatos's grasp before the gods would find him. The Olympians would be able to heal his wounds, but the gashes and cuts would scar and the words on his chest would scar the worst, being inflicted by a godly metal. He would always remember his misdeeds to that poor Titaness girl. He would never be able to let history cleanse his sins as people just forgot about his crimes. They will always be reminded every time he shows his face of the bastard he is.

 ** _Time Skip_**

I had carried the remains of the mercenaries and Heracles's limp body to the boat they came to my island on, and set up a nice scene for the gods to find. I tied Heracles to the mast and used my powers over the sea to push the boat away from the island, my message with the barley alive son of Zeus, awaiting a god to discover and pass on to the immortal world.

 _I will not be controlled._

 **Hermes POV**

I looked at my bloody and beaten half-brother, and my attention was drawn to the words carved into his chest. They were deep cuts that reached the rib bones even through the substantial amount of flesh between the surface and his ribs. I pulled out my Caduceus and cut him down. I could hear Martha and George "oohhhhing" in my head at the gruesome sight before them.

I grabbed the limp form of my half-brother and teleported to Olympus. I set him in the middle of the throne room and summoned the other gods, none of which were here except for Hestia, who was silently sitting by the Hearth and staring at the body of the demigod just a few feet away from the Hearth. I was a bit surprised when none of the normal healing energy that the hearth usually emanated passed to Heracles.

The other gods flashed in, and the meeting began.

 **Mt. Olympus, Greece**

 **Hermes POV**

Father was the first to say anything as the gods took to their thrones.

"Hermes, have you gotten word on..." he began to say, stopping when his eyes landed on my red stained hands and blood soaked clothes. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head at the sight, before him and the other gods scanned the room for him. They followed the trail of blood from my throne to the hearth and a sharp gasp was heard from nearly every god in the room. The gods were staring mainly though at the words in his chest. Out of the corner of my eye I could see an evil smile breaking out on Artemis's face.

"Heracles!" He breathed out. He sat frozen on his throne as he gaped at the beaten form of his son. "Apollo! Heal him! Hermes, what happened?!" he yelled at us. I squirmed a bit in my throne at the look Zeus was giving me, but I told him what happened.

"I was flying over the ocean when I found his ship. I flew over to it, and what I found on board..." I had to stop myself for a moment. Even a god can get see some disturbing things. All the gods in the room were leaning on the edge of their thrones, eyes darting back and forth between Apollo healing Heracles and myself. "What I found on board was Heracles tied to the mast, and his crew on the deck." Some of the gods looked at me with confused expressions.

"Why didn't his crew free him? I will destroy them for their betrayal!" Zeus yelled, his master bolt appearing in his hand in all its glory. He was about to get up from his throne, but I stopped him. It seems that he is in a "smiting" mood today.

"Father, the reason his crew didn't free him was because they were _on_ the deck. They were dead, their entrails and innards spread about the deck." I said, cringing at the gruesome memory. The gods in the room, not including Ares, cringed at my words.

"After I cut Heracles down, I brought him here." I said, just as Heracles groaned.

"There, that should be enough." Apollo sighed, wiping some sweat from his forehead. Heracles's broken bones were fixed but the gashes and cuts were now deep red and purple scars that would need to heal naturally, lest he burn up from too much godly food and energy. The words in his chest were still as clear as when they were fresh. If not even more clear. Apollo walked back to his throne as Heracles attempted to sit up. He groaned in pain and flopped onto his stomach. A small laugh could be heard from Artemis as she reveled in her half-brother's suffering.

He made another attempt to sit up and this time was successful, supporting his weight on the arm that hadn't been broken. He grimaced in pain and looked up at Zeus. Zeus looked down at him with a blank expression, but several emotions were swirling in his electric blue eyes. Love, concern, anger, confusion, disappointment. Heracles looked up pitifully at his father, until Zeus decided to break the silence.

"What happened on the island, son?" he asked, neither soft nor demanding. Just flat. Heracles sucked in a breath and started to get to his feet. He grunted in pain and his face screwed up as he ascended. I had to admire him for fighting through the pain. Not everyone could be standing after such horrible injuries, even with Apollo's healing.

"We beached the boat on the island and hiked through the jungle. We hiked in the jungle for a while until we came to the mountain side. We walked along the side of the mountain until we came to a clearing, where _he_ was waiting for us." he said, the gods once again listening with rapt attention. Heracles shifted the weight off of one of his legs and onto the other as he grimaced in pain once again.

"He used mist or fog or something to make it so we couldn't see, and he killed my men. Separating us and then picking them off one by one, like the coward _he_ is. Once I was the only one left, he cleared the clearing and we fought. All I really remember after that was him walking forward, and then just pain." he said, unconsciously using his arms to cover his chest.

"What did he look like, and did he give his name?" Athena questioned. Heracles shifted his gaze to her and didn't even bother to give a sarcastic answer. Especially with the 11 other all-powerful gods in the room.

"He was about 8 feet tall with large black wings. He had fangs and claws, but I can't remember the specific details of his face. I just remember he looked normal for a monster and he radiated power. Oh, and he said his name was Perseus." he said to Athena. She summoned a note pad and jotted down what Heracles told her. She scribbled on the pad for a bit until she turned it around to show him. It looked strangely similar to one of the children of Nyx, with the dark wings and claws. Heracles nodded at the picture, confirming it as accurate to his memory.

"Did he tell you anything else?" Athena asked him. Heracles focused for a second and then clutched his head and fell to his knees, surprising us all. Apollo rushed over to him again and checked on him.

"What's wrong Apollo?" Zeus said. Apollo closed his eyes and put his hand on Heracles's head, before retracting quickly.

"He is remembering some of the pain that was inflicted on him in the form of a flashback. It's like he's getting tortured all over again. When I went into his mind, I could see what this Perseus did to him. All I can say is that if he was trying to keep him alive, Tartarus may want to hire him as their head jailor." Apollo said.

"If you could see what happened, then you should try and go in and show us what Perseus may have told him that he doesn't remember." Athena told him. Apollo looked like he would rather take an arrow from Artemis, but a quick look from Zeus made him do it. He closed his eyes and put his hand on Heracles's now sweat covered forehead, and winced and cringed every few seconds. Suddenly he opened his eyes and in a mist-like image in the middle of the room, Heracles's forgotten memories were playing.

The gods stared at the image playing in front of them. It showed how Perseus quickly beat Heracles in the fight then proceeded to torture him. A few of the gods with lesser stomach for this sort of thing had to look away, mainly Aphrodite. Though Ares was eating up every second of the memory like it a nude picture of Aphrodite herself.

"I'm starting to like this punk. His taste for some good ol' blood and gore makes him my kind of guy." He said, before a silver arrow whizzed past his head and disappeared to somewhere in the chamber behind the thrones. Artemis glared at the now flustered Ares and then looked back to the screen, where Perseus was looking Heracles directly in the eyes, and started to talk.

" _I have a message for the Olympians that I want delivered. Leave. Me. Alone."_ he growled in the image. I couldn't suppress the shiver that made its way down my spine at his tone of voice and the subtle but sudden drop in temperature in the room. I also couldn't help but notice the fact that he was probably the most handsome monster in existence. Hades, he was more handsome than most of the gods, the goddesses were blushing at him (Not that I would name them. They would read my mind or find out some other way and destroy me...). Aphrodite wasn't even bothering to cover herself up though. A line of drool had started to make its way out of her perfect mouth and down to her chin as she gaped at the image.

The memory ended and the gods looked at Heracles with a new found sliver of respect from seeing how a mere mortal would face such a creature. Even if he was arrogant in nearly the entire encounter. Apollo took his hand off of Heracles's head and slumped back into a sitting position on the floor before standing and walking to his throne.

"How dare that _creature_ attack a son of Zeus!? I will destroy him once and for all!" Zeus yelled, summoning his master bolt again.

"Remember father that immortals and gods cannot go to his island yet. The barrier is still there." Athena said. Zeus sat back in his throne red faced and steaming. He would have to destroy something soon before he explodes. Hera managed to calm him down and he sat up straight, and gained a blank expression again.

"We will now decide what to do with Heracles, and see if he is still deserving of godhood. All those in favor of bestowing godhood onto Heracles, raise your hand." Zeus said to the room. Ares, Aphrodite, Zeus, Apollo, Hephaestus, Dionysus, and I raised our hands. A seven to five vote. Even if Heracles wasn't the greatest guy, it was always nice to have another immortal sibling to bond with and he had pretty much earned it.

"Then it is decided. Heracles shall be made a god." Zeus said, a smug look crossing his stoic face, but disappearing soon after. The gods that were opposed to making Heracles a god rolled their eyes but got off their thrones and prepared to make him immortal. We all stood in front of our thrones and held our arms out, and started to chant. We chanted as beams of multicolored energy flowed from each of us and into Heracles. The red mortal blood in is veins burned away and was replaced by ichor as he was made immortal. When we finished, he was looking like he did before he went onto the island, besides the scars, and he had a soft glow around him. Three flashes of light came from around him and the fates appeared. We all bowed to them, and waited for them to give Heracles his domains.

" _Son of Zeus,"_ Clotho said, _"You have completed your tasks and demonstrated strength in the face of hardship,"_ Lachesis said, _"And as such, you will be made the god of strength."_ Atropos finished. And together they chorused, " _SO SAY WE THE FATES!"_ and flashed back to their realm. Heracles was now on the floor again, his body adjusting to the sudden and large increase in power. We waited a few minutes, discussing things among ourselves until Heracles woke up.

He groaned and got off the floor and to his feet, looking at the room of assembled gods before him, a smug expression on his face.

"So, what are my domains?" he asked Zeus, either not noticing or ignoring the look of deep thought on his face. Zeus looked up and stared at his favorite son in disappointment.

"You have been named the god of strength by the fates." He said. Heracles got an angry look on his face at the news.

"I only get one domain?! Dionysus got to be an Olympian and he didn't do shit!" he yelled at Zeus in a tone that made him sound very childish. The majority of the gods in the room had to contain their laughter at the mostly true statement and the angry look on the youngest Olympian's face.

"Silence! You have been given your reward, and you are lucky we still gave it to you after learning of all your injustices on your quests! Now there is a permanent reminder of your misdeeds carved into your chest at all times, and all because your pride wouldn't allow you to accept you were the greatest hero! If anyone outside of this room ever finds out about those scars, the name of Zeus will be forever tarnished! As punishment, your domain will be the entrance to the Mediterranean, so no god or goddess ever see you scars and tarnish our name and legend!" Zeus ranted at his son, his anger exploding through his blank visage. Poseidon and Artemis were both having difficulty containing their laughter at the misfortune of the son of the sky, each for their own reasons.

"But father-" he began before a harsh glare from Zeus shut him up.

"You have one month to get accustomed to godhood then you will report to your post. And to all the gods in the room, if any of you mention the events of tonight or Heracles's scars, I swear on the Styx to personally punish you." He growled as thunder boomed in the background and he summoned his master bolt again to emphasize his point. We all nodded and he turned his head to look at Dionysus.

"Dionysus, I want you to take Heracles to Chiron and complete his godly training. Meeting dismissed." he said as he grabbed hands with Hera who was still glaring at him and left in a massive bolt of lightning. Always the drama queen...

With a loud groan and a roll of his blood shot eyes, Dionysus walked from his throne over to Heracles and flashed out to Chiron. The rest of the gods flashed out and I was the only one left as I then flashed out, or so I thought.

 **Hestia POV**

I watched the images that were being played for us all from my nephew's memory. I felt pity for him, despite my general distaste of the particular demigod. So this was the son of Earth and Shadow. The one with the hopeless and unmended heart that I would one day have to heal. I had no idea how though, if he was this far gone. The image changed and his face was in the center of the images and was in full focus. He was admittedly handsome. Actually very handsome. A blush made its way across my face as I stared and I could see a blush making its way across the other goddesses. I was lucky that I could hide my flushed face with my shawl, but Athena and Artemis were not so lucky, being two of the most active and participating Olympian goddesses.

When he spoke, a shiver ran down my spine and the hearth darkened a bit and less heat was being given off. I could hear the anguish and fury in his voice when he spoke. The pure lack of hope was literally sapping away at my domain just from replaying the moment. I looked into his incredible eyes and saw all the different emotions swirling in them. Anger, pain, sadness, no hope. The images ended and my little brother jumped from his seat, brandishing his weapon. I wasn't listening to what was said after this though. I was thinking about the fact that there is another monster in the sea that could easily play a pivotal roll in the destruction of Olympus should he decide to join his mother or brothers in a future war, and I would have to change his mind.

 **So anyway this finished the storie. He hasn't updated. This storie is not the best. I definitely saw better. Also I must apologize to my dear readers since I haven't replied to you alll which I'm really sorry about. Hopefully you will forgive me. Anyway if you liked it please tell all your friends. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your wonderful day.**


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